The Chained Goddess
by Kagoya Kyuuku
Summary: Alex and his friends' journey continues as new lines of the prophecy had been spoken. Throughout the journey, Alex figured out deeper about the enemy's plan and who the enemy is. The sequel to 'The Child of Artemis' and the second fic in the trilogy. Read on and don't forget to leave a review :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm finally back with the sequel to 'The Child of Artemis' :D**

**If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you to read it to get a better picture of the plot. However, this sequel can be considered as a stand-alone as well.**

**Please enjoy this sequel :D**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_"I am Brigitta Archer, the sole daughter of Artemis. I am The Child of Artemis."_

* * *

Percy stared at the girl in front of him in disbelieve. Had what he seen was right? He was pretty sure he saw a symbol of bow and arrows appeared on top of her head. Did that mean… She was _really _the child of Artemis?

"This is impossible." Thalia muttered and sat down.

"This has to be a joke." Ariana scoffed. "You fooled us, didn't you? That claim was a trick!"

"Ariana, stop." Thalia ordered. "We all recognized that symbol's aura. It's really our Lady's."

"But that's insane!" Ariana denied.

"As insane as it might be, the fact won't change. This girl is truly our Lady's daughter." Thalia sighed.

"But how is that possible?" Jason asked. "I'm sure Diana is a virgin goddess."

Brigitta smiled. "I see you have plenty of questions."

"Well, _duh_." Piper rolled her eyes.

"Maybe it's best if we take her home to the Camp." Annabeth said. "Chiron might have some answers ready for us."

"Good idea." Jason nodded.

"In the meantime, we should try to find the answers on our own." Thalia agreed and stood up. "I will try asking our Lady."

"Good luck with that." Ariana muttered.

"Why?" Jason asked. "Did something happen?"

Thalia shook her head. "Nothing. Just having some communication problems."

"I guess Artemis really goes off the radar once the prophecy was spoken." Piper said.

"Thalia, I think we better exchange any information we have." Annabeth suggested. "Being updated is something I really prefer right now."

"Good idea." Thalia nodded. "I'll send you an Iris message once I got something."

"Will do." Annabeth agreed. "Alright Percy, call Blackjack and let's go."

"Wait." Brigitta said. "I'm not coming with you to the Camp."

Percy and the others stared at her in shock. "What? Why?"

"My time has not come yet." Brigitta smiled. "You should go home without me."

"Hold on," Piper said. "the prophecy clearly said that we will go to find you, the seventh."

"And you did find me." Brigitta shrugged. "In one way."

"In one way?" Percy asked.

"Demeter told you to warn a girl to stop what she is doing, right? Since her presence annoys the goddess." Brigitta answered.

Percy's brain spun to think. "Does that mean… _You_'re the girl?"

Brigitta nodded. "I open up this shop a few months ago to hide. I can see why Demeter dislike me, since I'm an abnormal. Anyway, now that the Griffin had come, it means I can't stay here any longer."

"Slow down!" Jason said. "You said you opened up the shop to hide? Hiding from who?"

"Or from what?" Piper added. "And what do you mean you're an abnormal?"

Brigitta smiled. "Well, this is a farming town and that makes this place is sacred to Demeter. Clearly, I'm not part of this town, hence I'm an abnormal. That's why my presence annoys the goddess. And for your question, Jason Grace, I'm afraid I cannot answer that. Not now. This is not the end of the prophecy."

"What do you mean?" Nico asked.

"_The journey guided by the gods' voices_." Annabeth recited. "You mean, our journey has not ended yet?"

Brigitta nodded. "I cannot come to the Camp yet. There's something else I have to do first. I honestly didn't think they could track me this fast."

"They? Who are they?" Percy asked. "I'm so confused."

"Hold on, you can't just go like this!" Jason said.

"I have to go, so do you." Brigitta answered. "The time will come when we meet again. And I mean the _real _time which the prophecy meant."

"Great," Piper muttered. "the real time. Another confusing thing."

"You will understand by the time comes." Brigitta promised. "You know that is how prophecies worked. All the time."

"Wait! I still have tons of questions for you!" Annabeth said.

"For now, save those questions." Brigitta smiled. "You have to go back to the Camp. Your business here is done. By the way, you will need this."

Artemis's daughter opened her palm and a small bottle appeared. She threw the bottle to Jason. Jason received the bottle and squinted his eyes to read the label.

"An antiaging cream?" he choked.

"Excuse me? Do we look _that _old to you?" Piper huffed.

Brigitta smiled. "Trust me, that will work. I cannot go, it's not my turn. I leave her to you."

"What? What do you mean this will work? Who do you mean by 'her'? And please explain to me why it's not your turn!" Percy groaned.

Brigitta didn't answer and instead a silver light engulfed her.

"Save her. Please. And stay safe. All of you." Brigitta said before the light turned blinding. Then the light abruptly dissipated and she was gone.

Leaving the group in silence.

"…Okay. She's as confusing as our parents." Piper grumbled.

"The shop." Alex muttered.

They turned their heads and saw the shop slowly dissipated into thin air. A few seconds later, the shop was gone, and the area was in fact vacant.

"She… Manipulated the Mist?" Annabeth said. "How come?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if one day she confessed that she has the blood of Hades's." Nico scoffed.

"This is as absurd as ever." Piper muttered.

"So, what do we do?" Jason asked.

"You heard her." Alex answered. "We should head back to the Camp. Our business here is finished, after all."

Jason stared at his half-sibling. "You actually believed her?"

Alex shrugged. "Well, do we have any other business here?"

"Alex's right." Annabeth sighed. "I think it's better if we go home. Demeter asked us to warn the one who annoyed her, but she took her leave voluntarily instead."

"We should go as well." Thalia agreed. "There are a lot of things we need to discuss with the other hunters."

Annabeth nodded. "Stay safe, Thalia."

Thalia winked. "Same goes to you, child of Athena."

* * *

The ride back home was quiet. None of them spoke anything, simply because they didn't know what to talk about. Even when they stopped to get some rest, no words came out. Finally, after a long ride, they were back home.

By the time they landed on the Camp, Chiron had been waiting for them.

"Welcome back," the wise centaur smiled. "it has been a long ride. Come down and rest."

"There's no time for that, Chiron." Annabeth hopped down. "We have to talk."

Chiron studied Annabeth's gray eyes and sighed. "Yes. Very well. Come along to the Big House then."

The six of them entered the Big House.

"Hot chocolate?" Chiron offered.

"No. Let me get straight to the point." Piper cut. "This whole quest is confusing! Alright, alright, I know what you're going to say, Chiron. _Every _quest is confusing at the beginning. Whatever. The thing is that girl knows _more _than us!"

"By that girl I assume it's Artemis's daughter?" Chiron asked.

"Exactly!" Piper answered. "I mean, she knows this is not her turn, this is not the right time to meet her, et cetera et cetera. Whatever. And she gave us a freaking antiaging cream!"

"A… What?"

"Antiaging cream." Jason coughed and fished out the bottle. "Don't ask me why."

Chiron raised an eyebrow and studied the bottle in silence for a few seconds. "Did she say anything when she gave you this?"

"Yeah," Annabeth answered before Piper could ramble. "she said she's leaving her to us and she begged us to save her. And she asked us to stay safe."

"…Her?"

"Don't ask." Annabeth grumbled.

"Well, there has to be a reason why she gave you this cream." Chiron said.

"_Obviously_." Piper grumbled. "I hate it when someone knows better about the situation I'm in than I do."

"Did you have any news, Chiron?" Nico asked.

Chiron shook his head. "I've been trying to contact the gods with the Iris message, but no reply so far. It seems they don't know anything better than we do."

"So, I guess we're back to square one." Percy sighed. "Only Artemis and her child who know what's going on."

"Can you tell me more about your journey in finding her?" Chiron asked.

The six of them took turns in telling Chiron the story. They told him about the Caladrius, their meeting with Aletheia, the Egyptian Goddess Anput who appeared in Percy's dream, Diana's words to Percy, and the flower which the Roman Goddess Flora gave them. They didn't single out any details.

By the time they finished their story, Chiron was lost in silence.

"Well," he said after a few minutes of silence. "I hardly believe Artemis would have any connection with Egypt, but what you guessed is true. Judging from the looks of it, the girl _does _have a connection with Egypt. Which reminds me, Alex, how do you recognize Anput immediately just by hearing Percy's description of a goddess in desert?"

At Chiron's question, it was Alex's turn to be silent. He didn't say a word for a few minutes before letting out a small sigh. "My mother came from an Egyptologist family, though my mother is not interested in that. But she often took me to my grandparents' house and I often read books about Egypt there. Including their gods."

"So that's how you recognize Anput." Piper said.

"But how come Zeus fell in love with your mother? I mean, she came from a family with a sort of connection to Egypt." Percy asked.

"Like I said, my mother is not interested in that." Alex answered. "She basically cut herself off from any Egypt-related topics. So, she's basically just a normal mortal who has no idea about gods or goddesses. Although she happily accepted Zeus as a god. Maybe that's because when he seduced her, he looked fantastically handsome. That's what she told me anyway."

"Well, that mystery is now solved." Chiron said. "Anyway, you guys should have some rest right now. We don't exactly have any clues at the moment, but I strongly suggest you to have some sleep."

"Demigod dreams." Annabeth concluded.

Chiron nodded his head. "Do tell if you have those kinds of dreams."

"Will do, Chiron." They promised.

* * *

**There you go !**

**I'm so excited for this sequel :3**

**What do you think ?**

**Don't forget to leave your reviews and/or flames :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, there :D**

**I'm back with the second chapter !**

**Please enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

Alex had never had any dream before. Not before nor after Zeus claimed him. Not that he mind though. All this business about demigod was somewhat troublesome for him although he preferred to stay at the Camp rather at home.

Ever since Zeus claimed him four years ago during his family's Christmas party, he and his mother were basically deleted from the family's history. His family was so disappointed with his connection with the Greek while all of them involved themselves with the Egypt. And not just a small connection, but _huge _since he was the son of the Greek's version of king of the gods. Not long after that, his mother had a dream from Zeus and sent him to the Camp.

His mother didn't hate him, but it was clear she preferred to stay away from the gods' business as far as possible. She was shocked when she knew the guy that swayed her heart so badly was a god. Before he was claimed, his mother didn't know Zeus's real identity. Although after they were kicked out, she could accept the fact that her son was indeed a demigod.

Four years after he was claimed at twelve years old, this was the first time he ever had a dream. Alex found himself standing in front of a huge palace, decorated with gold and glittering jewelries. He glanced to his left and right, but he could not see anyone. Right at that moment, a beautiful woman with her long brown hair and a mirror in her hands appeared. Alex recognized her immediately.

"Aletheia." Alex mumbled. "Don't tell me… This is _the Olympus_?"

Aletheia opened the big doors and entered inside. Alex decided to follow his instinct and walked inside. It seemed Aletheia could not see or hear him. Aletheia walked quite fast, showing how she was in a hurry. She ignored the portrait along the hall and made her way straight to the room at the end. She slammed the doors open.

"Who is it? How dare someone interrupted our meeting!"

Thunder boomed at far and Alex guessed it was his father who had just spoke. Alex followed Aletheia and was taken aback by what he saw in front of him. Aletheia had just entered the throne room of the Olympians. He could easily find Zeus as he was sitting at the highest throne in the room. Alex spent the past four years of his life reading Greek mythologies—especially about the Olympians—, hoping to know his paternal side better. A goddess with a peacock dress and flowing black hair sat on the throne beside Zeus, a little lower. He guessed that was Hera, the Greek goddess of marriage and also known as the queen of the gods.

"Father." Aletheia bowed down politely. "It's me, Aletheia."

Zeus stared at the goddess and then let out a small sigh. "Aletheia, it's nice to see you after a long time, my daughter. But I don't have time to—"

"Father, please listen." Aletheia said. "It's about Artemis's daughter."

Her words shut Zeus's mouth. He pursed his lips and glared at the goddess. "Well, yeah. The hot topic."

"You cannot kill her, Father." Aletheia said.

"I've heard that countless times." Zeus growled. "But I cannot let her live."

"Yeah, I agree!" A goddess said. She was so beautiful with her two-different colored hair and Alex knew she was Aphrodite. "I mean, she's been stealing my spotlight!"

"I don't think it's wise, though." A god shrugged. He was holding a staff with two-headed snakes and Alex recognized him as Hermes, the Greek god of travel.

"Hermes is right, Father." Aletheia spoke. "Sure, she has the blood of Egypt, but she is the key—"

"SAY WHAT?!" Zeus roared. Even Alex choked at what Aletheia had said.

Artemis's daughter had the blood of Egypt. Like he had thought, she had something to do with the Egyptians.

"She is the key to our salvation." Aletheia repeated.

"Not that!" Zeus glared. "The one before that! SHE HAS THE BLOOD OF EGYPT?!"

Aletheia took a step back. She knew better not to get too close to Zeus as thunder boomed loudly outside the palace. She could be zapped with lightning in any second.

"Well, yes," Aletheia answered. "that's what I sensed from her."

"Instant death!" Aphrodite suggested.

"Father, please!" Aletheia pled. "You can't kill her! You know I won't lie to you!"

"This is an insult!" Zeus slammed his throne's armrest and stood up. Lightning crackled along his body. "It's bad enough that mortal has Roman blood somehow, now it turns out she also _truly_ has Egyptian blood!"

Hera sighed. "Just what did Artemis do exactly?"

"Father, the Oracle of Delphi has never been wrong." Aletheia said. "You have to let her live. She's our only salvation."

"And don't forget, your son is sort of involved with her." Aphrodite muttered.

Zeus glared at the goddess and Alex choked. He knew the goddess meant him, because he was the son of the Greek aspect.

"Do not mention anything about him in my presence." Hera growled. "I've told you to stay away from that mortal woman, husband dear, but you didn't listen. Now look what you have done. Your son is not fully your son."

Alex raised an eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean? He wasn't Zeus's son fully?

"Great way of claiming though." A god in battle armor said. Alex recognized him as Ares, the Greek god of war. "Hold on, does this mean we get to have a war?"

"Father, you can't possibly kill Alex!" Aletheia gasped. "He's as important as Artemis's daughter! I sensed that!"

"SILENCE!" Zeus growled.

"Father, we have to stay calm." A goddess in battle armor said. Knowing the Greek also had a renowned goddess of war, Alex knew she was Athena, who was also the goddess of wisdom. "Right now, the only one who knows what's exactly is going on is Artemis alone. I assume even Aletheia doesn't have a slightest clue?"

At the mention of the goddess's name, Alex scanned the room, but he couldn't find the goddess. Alex guessed she was probably locked up somewhere by Zeus.

"I…" Aletheia stammered. "You're right, sister. I only know she's truly Artemis's daughter and she's our only savior. And Alex has an important role in saving us as well. Apart from that, I know nothing."

Athena nodded her head. "Then we can't be reckless. Our past experiences showed that _some _mortals _do _can be trusted."

Zeus went silent after hearing Athena's sensible explanations. Or at least Alex hoped his immortal dad would listen to his immortal half-sibling or that meant his death for involving himself with his other immortal half-sibling's daughter. Hold on, did that mean Brigitta is his… niece?

_Stop thinking about that_, Alex muttered inside.

"Then what do you suggest, Athena?" Zeus asked.

Athena smiled. "We wait and observe, Father."

Zeus sat back on his throne. "Very well." he said. "But one dangerous step, and I will pulverize her to dust."

Then the dream changed.

This time, Alex found himself standing in the middle of a flower field. Alex recognized the flower as Iris and recalled Percy's dream.

"Um… Flora?" Alex called.

But instead of the Roman goddess of flower, Alex saw another girl. Her back was facing him, but he recognized her. He widened his eyes and unconsciously called her name.

"Brigitta."

Brigitta turned her body and widened her eyes. "Alex? What are you doing here? How come—Oh. I see."

"Ugh…" Alex muttered. "I'm not supposed to be here?"

Brigitta chuckled. "No, it's okay. I'm just surprised to see you here."

"_Here_." Alex repeated. "_Here _as in where exactly?"

"Well, where do you think?" Brigitta asked back amusedly.

Alex scoffed. "Girls are so complicated."

Brigitta laughed and Alex stood in alert. Something tugged his heart the moment he heard her laugh. Why?

_Get yourself straight_, Alex scolded himself.

"I see Morpheus brought you here to talk." Brigitta nudged her head. Alex turned his body around and saw a slender young man was standing behind him. He was wearing a long-sleeved white cotton shirt with dark blue jeans and a pair of white sneakers. His face looked like someone who had been using drugs for so long. His hair was pitch black and that made him looked like a walking sleeping zombie.

"Morpheus." Alex said. "The Greek god of dreams."

"I should leave." Brigitta said. "It seems like he needs some privacy. Remember, Alex Rebel, you have to make your choice alone."

"What?"

But before Alex could ask anything else, Brigitta was gone. Leaving him with the god alone.

"Hey." Morpheus said in a totally unenthusiastic tone.

"Um… Hey."

"Sorry for dragging you here." Morpheus sighed. "I don't have a choice, and this is not even a safe thing to do."

"Hold on, rewind," Alex cut. "what do you mean? You dragged me here? Why? And why is it not safe?"

"Her." Morpheus shrugged. "She's the number one hunted right now. No one is safe enough to contact her, and even I can only manage this once."

"By her, you mean Brigitta?"

Morpheus nodded. "I cannot hide her here for much longer. You have to protect her. She's running out of time and places to hide."

Alex choked. "You mean… She's been hiding in a _dream_?"

"Don't sound so sarcastic." Morpheus growled. "This world is quite isolated and safe, you know. Unless you're someone who's being hunted by gods and mortals."

"Mortals?" Alex asked.

"The Romans. They heard the news of Artemis's daughter and you can be sure they felt quite offended. Not to mention not all of Artemis's hunters actually accepted the fact their patron goddess has a daughter." Morpheus answered then his form flickered. He clicked his tongue. "You're waking up. Anyway, you have to protect her. You're the only one who could do that. Make sure she stays safe and you can save the world. Yay."

"Wait, wait, slow down," Alex said. "why do _I_ get the role as her protector?"

Morpheus's form flickered once again. "Mortal brains." he muttered. "Just listen to me. You're the only one who could protect her."

"Wait—"

Morpheus disappeared, and Alex snapped his eyes open.

_You're the only one who could protect her_, Morpheus's words rang in his mind.

_You have to make your choice alone_, Brigitta said.

Alex sat up. If this was how dream worked for demigod, Alex wasn't sure whether he wanted to have a dream or not.

* * *

**Done !**

**What do you think ?**

**Don't forget to leave your reviews :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the third chapter :D**

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as well.**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

Alex went out from his cabin and he was surprised to see Jason in front of the door.

"You're awake." The child of Jupiter said. "I was about to wake you up. Chiron has something to tell."

"I have too." Alex nodded his head. "Let's go."

They made their way to the Big House. When Jason opened the door, Alex could see everyone was there. Including Thalia.

"Good morning." Chiron greeted. "Now that everyone's here, let's start the meeting. I hope you had a pleasant sleep."

"I slept like a dead." Percy nodded his head.

"I'll break down my news first." Thalia said. "Unfortunately, I cannot contact Lady Artemis. I've been trying for the past 24 hours but none of my messages or telepathies got through. Not to mention other hunters—"

"Are out to hunt the daughter." Alex completed. He then told them about his dream, although he left out the part where Hera said he wasn't Zeus's son fully and the fact that he was on the very-naughty-list-of-the-Olympians due to his involvement with Artemis's daughter, though Aletheia said she sensed him having an important role in saving the gods. And most likely, the world. He also left out the part where he met Brigitta and she told him to make his choice alone, and when Morpheus told him he was the only one who could protect her. Whatever that meant.

The room went into a silence.

Just then, the door was slammed open and Rachel stepped in.

"Another!" she panted. "There's another part of the prophecy!"

They stared at her in shock out of surprise, then in disbelieve.

"How come you didn't say the _complete _prophecy before?" Thalia asked.

"I don't know!" Rachel answered. "But I have this tugging feeling and I just know there's another part of the prophecy. Here it comes."

Right after Rachel said that, green smoke slithered around her body.

"_Hope will be crushed by the dead,_

_A lone half-blood shall be the only protector._

_The chosen pharaoh steps out from the underworld,_

_And the sacred arrow must have its three anchors._"

The green mist dissipated, and Rachel gasped for air. Her friends looked even flabbergasted then before and Chiron stared at her.

"Ugh… Guys?" she muttered.

"This doesn't make any sense." Thalia sighed.

"Hold on, which means the complete prophecy goes like this:

_Six will go to find the seventh,_

_The journey guided by the gods' voices._

_Uniting the Big Three for all she's worth,_

_Hail, The Child of Artemis._

_Hope will be crushed by the dead,_

_A lone half-blood shall be the only protector._

_The chosen pharaoh steps out from the underworld,_

_And the sacred arrow must have its three anchors._

If you ask me, that sounds like _two _different prophecies." Annabeth said.

"I said that?" Rachel gasped. "That's gloomy."

"Let's break this down one-by-one." Piper suggested. "The first line. We did find her, even though she told us it's not the time which the prophecy meant."

"But she _did_ say we foundher, so I guess we can check that one." Jason said.

"Okay, so the second line. Brigitta said the journey is not over yet." Annabeth continued.

"Which makes sense because we have a new prophecy just now." Percy added.

"The third line," Piper said. "judging from Alex's dream, we can safely assume the Big Three is exactly as we thought. The three most known civilizations: Greek, Roman, and Egyptian. Since she has the blood of all three somehow, she unites them."

"The fourth line," Annabeth said. "I still don't know why the word 'hail' is used. Is it because she's important?"

"Our only salvation according to Aletheia." Jason nodded.

"Still, I think the word 'hail' should be used for kings. Or someone related to kings." Annabeth said.

"There are plenty of kings in this world. Exist in all sorts of different versions as well." Thalia said.

"The king of gods." Alex said. "Each civilization does have its own version of king of gods."

"Okay, so Greek has Zeus and Roman has Jupiter." Percy said. "Who's for Egyptian?"

"Horus." Alex said. "He's the Egyptian god of war before he became their king."

"Wait a minute, does that mean… Brigitta is Horus's _daughter_?" Annabeth asked.

Silence fell for a good one minute. Thalia widened her eyes as she gripped her bow tight.

"That," Chiron cleared his throat. "is impossible. There's no way a demigod could be born from _two _godly parents. Moreover, a Greek goddess and an Egyptian god."

"What if she was born from a demigod father?" Alex asked.

He received _weird _stares. And a very _very _cold stare from Thalia.

"Well, it's a probability." Chiron said. "But we all know from Aphrodite that Artemis didn't break her vow."

"What worries me is the new prophecy. _Hope shall be crushed by the dead _and _The chosen pharaoh steps out from the underworld_." Annabeth said. "I don't like the sound of _that_."

"Who's the last _far-away_?" Percy asked. "What is _far-away_ actually in Egyptian? Cause I know for sure that isn't a Greek nor a Roman word."

"_P-h-a-r-a-o-h_, _pharaoh_." Alex said. "It means king."

"The chosen king of Egypt." Chiron said. "Do you know who, Alex?"

Alex shook his head. "There are _tons _of kings who ruled Egypt. To choose only one, I wouldn't know who."

"I know one." Annabeth shrugged. "King Tut. Cursed tomb."

"_Tooth_?" Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't _all _Egyptians' tombs cursed?" Piper asked.

"_T-u-t_, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "And yeah, Pipes, I think most of the tombs are cursed."

"Is the tooth guy the chosen pharaoh?" Percy asked.

"Maybe." Alex answered. "He died pretty early, at the age of 19, and he's famous for that. Although I think_ chosen _means more than just being famous."

Percy choked. "I'm 19 next year."

"You're not an Egyptian." Nico muttered.

"Nico, did Lord Hades said anything to you?" Chiron asked. "Perhaps the Underworld is having a problem."

"Do you actually think he loves to visit?" Nico scoffed. "No, Chiron. He said absolutely nothing. But I don't sense anything strange either."

"And the last line also disturbed me. _And the sacred arrow must have its three anchors_," Jason said. "does arrow have any anchor?"

"Rhymes," Percy muttered. "maybe it means the arrow is made fromthree _ingredients_."

"I thought arrows are made from _wood_." Nico said. "I'm pretty sure that's only one ingredient."

"Don't forget the pointy tip and the feathery base." Piper said.

"_Sacred_." Annabeth said. "It means the arrow is not a _normal _arrow."

"Do gods like anything normal?" Jason said.

"This is as confusing as before. And I'm also worried with this line: _A lone half-blood shall be the only protector_. What's that supposed to mean?" Piper said.

"Prophecies." Percy muttered.

"Children, we still have so minimal clues." Chiron said. "All we can do now is to keep an eye on the Underworld."

"Right." Nico mumbled.

"Nico, if there's anything happen in the Underworld—no matter how tiny it is—do tell us. Judging from the prophecy and Alex's dream, I think it's best to assume that this world is ending unless Lady Artemis's daughter stays alive." Chiron said.

"And hopefully she wants to save us." Annabeth muttered.

"In any case, we should keep our ears and eyes all open." Chiron said. "As Brigitta said, the journey is not over yet."

"More dreams. Yay." Percy said.

Annabeth said something to her boyfriend as a comment, but Alex couldn't hear it. The second line of the new prophecy lingered in his mind.

_A lone half-blood shall be the only protector_.

Alex knew that line meant him.

_You're the only one who can protect her_, Morpheus had said.

But why? Why him?

_Remember, Alex Rebel, you have to make your choice alone_.

Alex let out a small sigh. Alone was not a word he fancied.

Chiron dismissed the meeting and they stepped out from the Big House. Alex was about to return to his cabin when Thalia stopped him. She gripped his shoulder.

"We need to talk." The hunter said.

Alex followed her into the woods and tried to act as casual as possible. He knew she had the same blood running through her veins as him, and he didn't fancy the way her quiver was full of arrows.

Thalia stopped, and Alex followed. She turned her body around and stared at him.

"I'll get this straight to the point." Thalia said, her voice was cold. "What makes you think my Lady is involved with some _demigod male_?"

Alex's body tensed. Thalia might be his half-sibling, but he knew better than to give her an unsatisfactory answer. Alex knew Thalia could shoot her arrow faster than he could duck. "Well, I just made my guess based on that prophecy." Alex cleared his throat. "No offense. Honestly."

Thalia narrowed her eyes and Alex could see she gripped her bow tighter. "And you think my Lady is involved with… an _Egyptian demigod_?"

Alex fell into a silence. Just now… How clear it was. _Hurt _was apparent in both of Thalia's voice and eyes. Alex knew that deep inside, Thalia must have felt… _betrayed_. He took a breath. "Thalia, believe me, Artemis has a reason for everything that happened. Including why did she choose to let her hunters stay in the dark about her daughter. But like Aletheia said, we cannot kill her."

"Do you expect me to really believe that?" Thalia asked. Her knuckles had turned white from gripping her bow so tight. Alex hoped that the reason she gripped her bow so tight like that was to restrain herself from shooting him.

"I know how anxious the hunters are, especially you, as you are the lieutenant." Alex said. "But think about this the other way. _Can you really kill her and risking the world_? You know Aletheia can never lie."

It was Thalia's turn to fall into a silence. She gave Alex a good stare for a couple of seconds. "There's something you're not telling."

Alex choked. "What?" Was he so transparent? Or there was some sort of Zeus's-children-telepathy ability?

"The way you are so sure about not killing the girl." Thalia said. "You know something we don't."

"Am not!" Alex denied.

"Then how come you believe what Aletheia said easily? I know she's the goddess of truth, but it seems like you have no doubt about it yourself." Thalia said. "And if you dare to deny it, I'll make you speak with my arrow."

"Whoa, chill out." Alex raised his hands. "To be honest, I'm not that sure about the girl as well. But one thing for sure is that she knows something. Or maybe everything, I don't know. She knew that even though we found her, it isn't the end of the prophecy. And you can't just take any prophecies lightly. The prophecy specifically mentioned her."

Thalia gave Alex another good stare before letting out a sigh. "Very well, Alex Rebel. I will trust your judgment. You are the head of Zeus cabin and you are my half-sibling, and I believe you won't make a stupid choice. But remember, the moment the girl becomes suspicious, I won't hesitate to shoot her down myself."

_You're the only one who can protect her_.

Alex nodded his head. "Fine."

Thalia nodded back and then walked away, leaving Alex in silence. He took a deep breath, as Thalia's words latched itself into his brain. She would kill Brigitta without any doubt if she thinks Brigitta is suspicious.

Alex scoffed inside. Well, _define _suspicious.

Alex let out a sigh and looked up to the sky. This was his first quest after being claimed, and he already listed himself in a live-or-death situation. If he protects Brigitta, he might stay alive and save the world, but if he does that, he would probably be hunted down by the gods also. But Alex knew deep inside that protecting Brigitta was the right thing to do. And Morpheus had clearly said that he was the only one who could protect Artemis's daughter. Just like what the prophecy said.

_A lone half-blood shall be the only protector_.

* * *

**Done !**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the fourth chapter ! *woohoo, I'm on the roll !***

**Please enjoy reading this chapter :D**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

That night, Alex dreamed again. This time, he was standing in the middle of a desert. Alex recalled Percy's dream immediately.

"Anput?" Alex called but he got no reply.

Just like Percy had said. The second time he was in a desert, Anput was nowhere to be seen. Alex furrowed his forehead. As far as he knows, no gods or goddesses cannot be found in their own territory. Something must had happened to Anput if he could not see her here. After all, she was also known as the goddess of the desert.

"Mommy?"

Alex turned his body around and almost yelped. He tumbled out of surprise and fell on his bottom. He stared at the little girl who had just gave him a heart attack.

Or _at least _he assumed it was a little girl, judging from her petite body and her black jet hair which was tied into a ponytail. Alex tried so hard not to point out her snake face and starry skin in a scream. He knew she was a goddess—well, no _human _could possibly have a snake face and a starry skin anyway—and Alex decided to be as polite as possible.

"Mommy?" The little girl said and tilted her head to one side.

"Ugh… Hey." Alex muttered and pointed to himself. "Alex. Boy. Not mommy."

The girl said nothing and blinked. Or at least to Alex she seemed to have just blinked. Alex didn't know for sure whether snake could blink or not.

"Um… Who are you?" Alex decided to ask.

"Mommy?"

Alex groaned. His brain spun to remember which goddess loved to search for her mother. Judging from his desert surroundings, Alex assumed the goddess was an Egyptian. After all, no one loves the desert as much as the Egyptians do.

"Lost." The little goddess said. "Mommy?"

Then the dream changed. This time, Alex found himself floating in darkness. He couldn't see anything, but he shuddered the moment he heard a noise. Something was slithering and hissing from deep down below him. Judging by from how loud the noise was, whatever it was must had a _huge _size.

"Chaos." A woman's voice suddenly boomed. Another shiver ran down along Alex's spine as it seemed like the voice came from all around him. "And you cannot stop me, boy. You will kill the girl."

Alex felt his body turned ice cold. The girl… For some reason, Alex was sure the voice meant Brigitta.

"You _will _kill the girl." The voice repeated. "You _will _help me rise."

Then the voice disappeared, and Alex snapped his eyes open. He sat up and every bit of the dream he just had replayed itself in his head. His memory started to kick in as his brain put the puzzles together.

"The goddess who is looking for her mother. The lost goddess." he muttered.

Alex jumped out from his bed, changed his clothes, and ran to the Big House. He slammed the door open, surprising Chiron who was enjoying his morning tea with Rachel.

"Alex!" Rachel protested. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Kebechet!" Alex panted.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"The lost goddess!" Alex answered. "It's Kebechet!"

"_Excuse me_?"

Alex closed the door and told them his dream, although he left out the part where the woman in the darkness told him that he would help her rise and he would kill Brigitta.

"Okay… So, this lost goddess's name is Ke… Who?" Rachel asked.

"Kebechet." Alex answered. "She's the goddess of purification and also known as the lost child or the lost goddess. She's the daughter of Anput. Percy did say that he couldn't see Anput anywhere anymore, right? Kebechet is looking for her!"

"You mean… Kebechet is lost because Anput is lost?" Chiron asked.

Alex nodded his head. "That's why she's looking for her mother! Anput must be in somewhere dangerous!"

"Wait, hold on, who is this Anput again?" Rachel asked.

"As far as I remember from what Alex has told us, she is the goddess of funeral and mummification, and also known as the goddess of desert." Chiron answered.

"So, where is she?" Rachel asked. "And before that, would you tell me what happened if Anput and Kebechet stay lost?"

"Chaos, I assume." Chiron said, and the word sent another shiver along Alex's spine. Chaos. Just like what the woman in the darkness said. "If Anput is lost, she cannot oversee the funeral process anymore, which means the souls of the dead will be lost as well since they don't know where to go. Funeral is _an _important thing after all for the Egyptians, as it leads the souls to the Underworld correctly."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully knowledgeable as a Greek."

Chiron shrugged. "I do my sharing of learning."

"And Kebechet is the goddess of purification for the dead, which means if she is lost, the dead cannot be purified and be blessed with a new life in the Underworld." Alex said.

Rachel gasped. "The seventh line of the prophecy!"

Alex did a quick mental count in his brain. "You mean… _The chosen pharaoh steps out of the Underworld_?"

Rachel nodded. "If whoever that is wants to step out of the Underworld, then isn't the easiest thing to achieve that is by ruining the Underworld? You know, by creating a chaos or something along that line."

Chiron and Alex both widened their eyes.

"Ugh…" Rachel licked her lips. "Seems like I just bring out a _bad _news."

"No… You may be right, Rachel." Chiron's face turned serious. "And if that is the case, then I believe we should find Anput as fast as possible." He then turned to face Alex. "Alex, go and call the others, please. I believe your next quest is ready."

* * *

When Chiron briefed his friends about his dream and Rachel's guess, Alex let his mind wandered back to the memory of the dream. To the part where he heard the voice in the darkness. Now Alex knew that whoever the chosen pharaoh was, it was a _she_. There weren't many female pharaohs—not as many as the male ones—and Alex did remember a few famous names. Although he still needed some more clues to be sure.

But what bothered him the most was what the voice said. She clearly said that Alex would kill Brigitta. If that was the case, then what was the prophecy about? And why did Morpheus say something like that?

It was so confusing, Alex's head started to spin.

_Remember, Alex Rebel, you have to make your choice alone_.

Why did Brigitta say that to him? Did that mean Brigitta knows already about the possibility of him killing her? But how come she knew? Who is she exactly?

"…And I believe, it's best for you to find and save Anput as fast as possible." Chiron's words snapped Alex back to the reality.

"But where do we supposed to start searching?" Piper asked.

"And if the Underworld is in chaos, isn't Hades supposed to take action?" Jason asked.

"I can answer that." Nico answered, suddenly appeared from his Shadow Travel.

Alex stared in surprise. He hadn't even realized Nico wasn't there. It seemed he had let his mind roamed off further than he thought.

"I have just visited my dad, as I felt a slight turbulence last night." Nico said.

"What did Lord Hades say, Nico?" Chiron asked.

"He did say there is _something _happening in the Underworld, but it isn't his—or our—business." Nico sighed. "He said there's someone else who is taking care of it, whatever that means."

"Someone else?" Annabeth muttered. "Hold on… Does that someone else means… _Egyptian_'s god of death?"

Silence filled the room, until Percy broke it out with a small shriek.

"_What_?"

"Osiris." Alex mumbled.

"I take that as the name of Egyptian's god of death?" Annabeth asked which Alex replied with a nod.

"This is utterly confusing." Jason groaned.

Chiron took another moment of silence before letting out a small nod. "I think this confirms our guess that the border between Greek/Roman and Egyptian has fallen."

"All because of Artemis's daughter, right?" Piper said.

"Whatever the reason is, I know saving Anput comes first at this moment." Chiron said. "With the fallen border, the turbulence within Egyptian's death realm will affect the Greek's sooner or later."

"We have to cease the turbulence before it's too late." Annabeth nodded her head. "Back to the first question. How do we find the lost goddess? Anput, I mean."

"She must be somewhere far from her territory if her child cannot find her." Chiron said. "Somewhere her own child wouldn't even dare to look."

"A place where Anput can be robbed off her territory and Kebechet wouldn't dare to look…" Alex mumbled. "_Water_?"

Annabeth snapped her fingers. "That's it! Water! She's the goddess of desert, after all!"

"But _water _is too wide." Piper said. "I mean, it covers 70% of the earth. How do we zoom in into a place only?"

Percy instantly grinned. "Then I guess it's my job to finish. Make way, everybody!"

* * *

After spending the rest of the morning and the afternoon at the Camp's lake, Percy raised his hands up. The sun was getting lower, and Percy was wet from sweat. "I can't find her."

Annabeth spun her brain to think. "Well, if Seaweed Brain can't find it, it means the water is not in his territory."

"Mind to elaborate that to me, Wise Girl?" Percy cleared his throat.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It means, you don't have any access to search through certain waters, Seaweed Brain."

"Um… Let's go detail, shall we?" Percy let out a dry laugh.

"A clash of power." Jason said. "Wherever Anput is, Percy cannot sense her using his _Greek _power."

"You mean… She's in some waters ruled by a Roman deity?" Percy asked.

"Or in this case, probably ruled by an Egyptian." Annabeth answered.

"Right." Piper scoffed. "And how do we find her if Percy doesn't have any access to scan through the waters?"

"Can you ask your dad?" Nico asked.

Percy shook his head. "I've been trying to do that while I'm searching for her through this lake, but no response."

"I'm pretty sure the gods are anxious about this as well and decided to stay away as far as possible." Jason said.

"I guess we're all on our own, then." Piper sighed. "I know they are holding off their actions for now because of Aletheia's truth, but who knows for how much longer."

Just then, a bright light suddenly appeared, and a young man stepped out from the light. He was handsome, but his body was transparent. The demigods however, recognized him instantly. It wasn't hard to know who he was, especially with the ukulele he was carrying.

"Apollo!" Jason said.

"Sssh!" Apollo shushed him hard. "Not so loud! I came here to help you and without my father knowing!"

"But why?" Piper asked.

Apollo glared at her, as if he found her innocent question insulting. "Well, _duh_, it's concerning my _niece_."

They widened their eyes in shock. "Your—"

"Anyway," Apollo cut. "I don't have much time. I know where the goddess is. She's in the Rockaway Beach, at the bottom of the sea."

Percy choked. "At _what _bottom?"

"You have to hurry." Apollo urged, clearly ignoring Percy's question. "My niece is in great danger, unless you bring that goddess back to her territory."

"And how do we exactly do that?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Bringing Anput back to the desert, I mean."

Apollo rolled his eyes then opened his palm. A clear small orb appeared on his hand and he threw it to Alex. "You hold that orb, cousin." Apollo said. "It's a one-way portal, specifically made to connect with any desert in the whole world. Stole that from Hermes's dejected goods."

Jason's turn to be choked. "Did you just say dejected—"

"Whatever." Apollo cut. "You have to hurry. By the end of tomorrow's sunset, the turbulence will have spread to Hades's—and sure, Pluto's—territory. And by the sunset at two days from now, the Doors of Death will be opened once again, and you can be damn sure, all hell will break loose."

"Um… The end of the world, you mean." Percy said.

"To put it simply." Apollo nodded. "But of course, all that can wait if you save the goddess _now_."

"Right." Piper sighed.

"Wait a minute, did you just say _all that can wait_? You mean, the Doors of Death will be opened sometime—"

"Time is ticking, boys and girls." Apollo said, cutting Nico. "And look at the time! I have to go back now before my father notices. I leave the goddess in your hands! Remember, don't tell anyone I'm helping you! And _don't_ let my niece be in danger, unless you all want to be cursed into a singing ukulele by me!"

After saying those words, Apollo was gone.

"_The journey guided by the gods' voices_." Annabeth recited. "I hate prophecies and how accurate they are."

"Well, I believe we have a sea to visit." Jason said. "Should I bring my trunks?"

* * *

**There !**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the fifth chapter.**

**Please enjoy reading this chapter :D**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

Apollo appeared in Artemis's chamber and the goddess sighed. "One minute later and you'll be dead, dear brother."

Apollo let out a relieve sigh and sat down beside his sister on the bed. "Thanks for looking out, dear sister."

"It's fine." Artemis said while stroking her white deer's head. "But why are you helping me?"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "You're my sister and she's my niece. I don't see anything wrong by helping a family member."

"But aren't you curious about how I have a daughter?" Artemis asked.

"I can pretty much guess." Apollo scoffed. "I'm not being your twin brother for nothing, Artemis."

Artemis let out a small chuckle. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. But most of all, thank you for not pestering me and for helping me protecting her life."

"My pleasure." Apollo smiled. "Now I better go before anyone spots me for being in here. You're still grounded."

Artemis scoffed, and Apollo went out from her chamber. Once the door was closed, Artemis let out a small sigh. Her white deer tilted its head and then put it on her lap. Artemis smiled and stroke the deer's head once more.

"It'll be okay. She'll be okay." The goddess said.

* * *

Alex and his friends decided to set out in the next day's morning, as the sea was dangerous during darkness. It was preferable to enter the sea—especially the bottom part—when the sunlight had hit the ground. Even though the light wouldn't be able to pierce, but the sea would still recognize its light and it wouldn't be too dangerous.

Or they hoped so.

That night, Alex dreamed again. But this time, he was familiar with his surroundings. A memory kicked in and Alex widened his eyes as he recognized the place as the Olympians' throne room.

"Welcome."

Alex turned around and was greeted with a man's smiling face. A _handsome _man to be precise. He was lean and muscular, with a tousled spiked brown hair. He was wearing a simple cream-colored long-sleeved shirt with black pants and a pair of dark blue sneakers. There was one thing unusual from him, though. Unusual but cool.

He had a pair of different colored eyes. His left eye was brown, and his right eye was black jet.

"Who are you?" Alex asked.

The man smiled a bit wider. "You'll know when the time comes. Right now, there's something I have to give you."

He fished out something from his pocket and threw it to Alex. Alex caught it and raised an eyebrow as he eyed the _perfume _bottle.

"What is _this_?" Alex asked.

"A _magical _perfume." The man winked. "You have a child of Poseidon with you, right? Apollo didn't have much time before to give you this, so I take liberty in doing it. I'm sorry for bringing you to the throne room, but this room is the only place strong enough to help me materialize."

Alex blinked his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Oops, seems like I talked a bit too much before the appropriate time." The man let out a chuckle. "Anyway, nice to meet you, Alex. And about the perfume, it will only give you 10 minutes. Better finish your business before the time is up and things goes ugly."

"How do you know my name and what do you mean by the 10 minutes limit?" Alex asked in surprise then a second later he scoffed. "You know what? Nevermind. I'm pretty sure you're going to say: 'this is not the right time for you to know'or something along that line."

The man laughed. "You got that right. Uh-oh, this place cannot support me any longer. Once again, it's nice to meet you, Alex. Oh, right, before I leave, I need to tell you something. Don't hesitate one bit when you make your choice, for you're making it alone. We know you will decide what is best for all of us. And good luck! I know you'll come back alive."

_You have to make your choice alone_, Brigitta's words suddenly rang in Alex's mind.

But wait. What did he mean by _come back alive_?

"Hey, wait—"

Alex's words were cut as the man suddenly turned into a white deer and his dream changed. This time, he was back at the desert. What differed from before was that Alex immediately spotted Kebechet who was walking slowly. She was a few meters away from Alex.

"Mommy?" Alex could hear her voice.

Alex tried to move his legs, but he was stuck. He tried to open his mouth to call out for her, but his voice was gone. Alex wanted to approach the goddess and told her that he will save her mother with his friends, but he couldn't do anything.

"Poor child."

Alex turned his head and saw a man was standing beside him. He had a bright red hair with a sand-colored skin, but a bit redder. He was looking at Kebechet's figure with a sad expression in his eyes.

"I hate to see my granddaughter like that."

Alex widened his eyes. Granddaughter. Who was Anput's parents? Wait, were the goddess's parents known? Alex tried to remember, but he couldn't find any memories regarding Anput's parents. If it wasn't her parents, then maybe, her parents-in-law?

"Set." Alex croaked as his brain spun to remember. "You're Anput's father-in-law, the god of desert."

"One hundred for you!" Set said. "It has been a while since the last time I saw her, and when I do see her, look at her."

"She lives in the Underworld, along with Anput and your son, Anubis, the god of funeral and mummification." Alex said.

Set whistled. "You _do _know a lot about us, considering you're a… _foreign_."

Alex ignored him. "You miss them." he said. "You miss your son and his family."

"Well, who wouldn't?" Set said. "I am a god, but I am also a parent. Anyway, I leave Anput's safety in your hands. Please bring her back."

"I will." Alex answered without a doubt.

Set whistled once more. "I like that determination. I see now. You're also a child of a king. No wonder your fate is connected to hers. A _very interesting _connection as well."

"By _hers_," Alex said. "do you mean Brigitta's?"

"Another full point for you." Set smiled. "Oh, look at the time! You're waking up. I guess we'll talk again sometime later. _Soon_. Oh, I almost forgot! The one you're going to face isn't too concerned with the others, but don't forget to spray that perfume! Work effectively for the child of water, even if it is for 10 minutes only. And good luck with… the _others_."

"Hold on, what do you mean by soon? And what's with the one we're going to face? And with the others?" Alex asked.

Set ignored his question and waved his hand in goodbye. The scene then blackened, and Alex woke up. He sat up and felt something in his palm. A bottle of magical perfume. Judging from what Set and the man had told him, Alex knew exactly who should receive the spray.

* * *

"_What_?"

Annabeth glared at Alex and Alex hoped he wasn't wrong about the perfume. Because if he did, Annabeth wouldn't think twice to tear him apart. Or maybe brainwashed him.

"Like I said," Alex repeated while taking a step back away from Annabeth. "you need to use this perfume, Percy. It'll mask your smell."

"What kind of smell do I have?" Percy asked. "Seaweed?"

"Ugh… I don't know, but it's better to be safe than sorry." Alex said while eyeing Annabeth carefully.

"I'm Poseidon's child, Alex. And if I _do _smell, I smelled like _seawater_. And we're going to a _sea_." Percy said.

"Noted." Alex nodded. "But perhaps, there's another sea deity who doesn't like your smell. You know, _Poseidon_'s smell."

Annabeth's glare softened a bit and Alex let out his breath. Being so close to the child of Athena made him felt slightly nervous.

"Well, that makes sense." Annabeth muttered.

Percy gawked at her. "_Seriously_?"

Annabeth eyed her boyfriend then the perfume. "It wouldn't hurt." she shrugged. "Besides, Alex's right, Seaweed Brain. Poseidon _does _have many enemies, and we can't let it jeopardize our quest."

Percy scoffed. "So, _I _get to wear the perfume."

"I don't see any other Poseidon's child with us here." Annabeth said. "Don't worry. I'm sure the perfume will wear out soon."

"10 minutes, to be exact." Alex informed. "We have to spray it on Percy after we arrived at the beach."

"Remind me how you are so knowledgeable about this?" Jason asked.

Alex told them his dream about the man and Set, although he left out—_again_. Man, talk about keeping _lots _of secrets—the part where both man pointed out his connection to Brigitta. Nor about how he must make a choice alone, whatever the choice was. Nor about the enemy—or more likely, enem_ies_.

"Okay, judging from that, I take there's another god or goddesses in power who is ruling the Rockaway Beach." Piper said.

"I thought Poseidon _rules _all water?" Nico asked.

"Well, we'll have to find out ourselves." Annabeth said. "Since seas are so vast, maybe Poseidon shares some responsibilities."

"Okay. I'll use the perfume." Percy said. "Now, let's go."

Percy called Blackjack and his friends, and they hopped on. Right after Nico sat on Quiella, he clutched his head in pain.

"Hey, you alright?" Alex said as he seated himself behind Nico.

"I'm fine." Nico managed. "We need to hurry. I can feel the turbulence is reaching _our _Underworld. It's starting to get chaotic."

Percy nodded. "Buddy, take us to the Rockaway Beach."

_Okay, Boss_.

Blackjack flapped his wings and soared into the sky. But before they went out from the barrier, the horses suddenly stopped in their tracks and tried to turn back in panic.

_Yikes_!

"Blackjack! What's wrong?" Percy asked.

"Percy, look!" Annabeth said while pointed out.

Percy glanced up and was met with a shriek.

"Great." Jason muttered. "A gryphon."

* * *

**Done !**

**I can't believe I managed to write this chapter out !**

**I realized that I used the word Griffin incorrectly in 'The Child of Artemis', since the Greek knew it by the name of Gryphon. Griffin is more Egyptian-like. I'm so sorry for this ! ._.**

**Anyway, what do you think about this chapter ?**

**Don't forget to leave your reviews :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the sixth chapter :D**

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as well *bow***

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

The gryphon shrieked, and the horses grew restless.

_Can we just use the land transport_?, Blackjack asked.

"Easy, buddy." Percy calmed his horse down. "We'll get rid of that gryphon for you."

_Yay_!

"Easier to say, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said. "Do you have a plan?"

Percy glanced back at his girlfriend and raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure making a plan is your thing, Annabeth."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let me think."

"Five minutes is enough, yeah?" Percy asked.

"Shut up, Percy." Annabeth replied.

The gryphon shrieked again as he tried to break in through the barrier but failed.

"Err… Annabeth?" Percy called. "Anytime now."

"I give you permission to enter."

The group fell into a silence then they looked down. A girl with a flowing black hair was glowing and looked up back at them, before she suddenly collapsed. The gryphon shrieked once more, and the group looked back at the barrier, just when a hole appeared. Now that someone had given a permission, the gryphon could enter.

_YIKES_!

Piper was the first who found her voice. "WHO IS THAT STUPID GIRL?" she bellowed.

"Doesn't matter!" Annabeth countered. "Here comes the gryphon! Attack it head-on!"

Percy fished out his Riptide. "Nice plan as usual, Wise Girl!"

The gryphon shrieked as it entered through the barrier. The Camp turned chaotic upon seeing the monster.

"This isn't going well." Annabeth looked down. "Piper, charmspeak everyone to stay calm and get away from here as far as possible!"

Piper nodded her head. "Land me down, Porkpie."

The horse flew down and Piper hopped down. "Get rid of that monster, Jason. And stay away from my charmspeak."

Jason kissed her quickly. "Yes ma'am."

Piper smiled then took a deep breath. She then faced the campers.

"All right, everyone, listen to me." Piper began her charmspeak. The campers instantly turned to her. "This is just a drill for the chosen ones, no need to be worried. Now everyone, grab your packs and go along. Stay away from here as far as possible."

"A drill." A camper repeated. "With a gryphon."

Piper let out a chuckle. "I know, right? But trust me, as you grow older and stronger, this kind of drill is necessary. It trains your bravery and your madness in a battlefield."

_Madness. I like that word_.

Piper blinked her eyes as she processed what she had just heard. Did she hear it right?

"Did you guys hear that?" The campers asked each other, which convinced Piper that someone _did _just talk.

_Are you sure you can call this a drill_?, the voice came back along the rustling wind. _You saw that one of you gave the permission for the gryphon_.

"Who gave the permission?" The campers mumbled.

_Someone is betraying you by permitting the gryphon to enter. And this time, the girl who is standing in front of you is trying to deceive you_.

A shiver ran down along Piper's spine. She didn't know whose voice did it belongs to, but she didn't like it.

"Um… Guys?" Piper looked up and was taken aback by her friends' confused look.

"That girl betrayed us." The campers murmured. "She let that gryphon in. She betrayed us."

"Are you trying to deceive us?" A camper asked, which snapped Piper's attention back to them. "Is this not a drill?"

_Of course not_., the voice chuckled. _This is a __**battlefield**_.

"No!" Piper instantly said. She didn't know who was speaking, but she knew it was a woman's voice. Whoever she was, Piper knew that the woman is destroying her charmspeak. "This is just a _drill_."

The campers murmured within themselves. Some of them were convinced that they were in a drill, but the others were doubting Piper. Piper looked up and saw her friends were looking at each other in confusion.

"This is a drill, Pipes?" Jason asked to her.

Piper was flabbergasted.

"Who are you?!" Piper demanded. "Show yourself!"

The wind rustled once more.

"Up here, sweetie."

Piper looked up and saw a hooded lady was sitting on top of the gryphon. Piper couldn't see her face clearly because of the hood, but something about the lady was… _scaring _her.

"Oh, are you _scared_?" The lady asked as she studied Piper's expression. "I'm sure all of you are _scared_ and _confused_."

Piper winced. The way the lady said those words didn't sit well with her. Piper could feel herself was turning scared and confused, just like the lady said.

Piper shook her head. "You _cannot _charmspeakme." she glared at the lady.

"Charmspeak?" The lady asked. "I _don't _do charmspeak, my dear. _I'm just stating the truth_."

"There is no truth in your words!" Piper said while focusing her energy into the charmspeak. "Get lost!"

"My, how rude." The lady said. "I do appreciate some respect, you know."

"Get lost!" Piper said. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

The lady chuckled. "First, you told me to get lost, and the _second _after, you're asking my reason for being here. Quite a contradiction, don't you think?" She then turned to the five demigods in front of her. "As for you five, _you cannot win this battle_. _You will die_."

Color was drained from their faces. The gryphon looked at them with hungry eyes and the horses started to fly down in fear.

"We're going to die." Jason muttered.

"No!" Piper said and put more power into her charmspeak. "No, we're not! We're going to save Anput and stop whatever is going on!"

Hope came back to their faces.

"Are you sure?" The lady asked. "_You don't even know what is going on_."

Confusion and fear came back, and Piper felt she was about to be consumed by the lady's words. Who was she kidding? She _did _know nothing about the situation!

The lady smiled. "Let the gryphon kill you. That way, you don't have to see this world's destruction. It is so much better than putting up a hopeless fight, don't you think?"

"Die." Percy mumbled as Blackjack stepped on the land. "Is dying hurt?"

"Quicker than falling asleep." The lady assured.

"That seems like a better option than fighting the gryphon." Annabeth nodded.

Piper shook her head to get rid of the lady's words from her brain. However, Piper knew her energy was being drained out, just by trying to ignore the lady's words. She wanted the lady to get away, but she wasn't sure whether she had enough energy for another charmspeak or not.

_One more time_.

Piper gasped as she recognized the voice who had just spoken in her head. It was her mother's voice.

_One more time_., Aphrodite repeated. _No one charmspeak better than the Aphrodite's daughter. Say those words, Piper dear_.

Piper took a deep breath and then glared at the lady.

"_Get lost_."

Piper put everything she had left into her last charmspeak and it worked. The gryphon shook its body to get rid of the lady and ran out from the barrier as fast as possible. The lady looked down at Piper for a moment and smiled.

"Too bad." she simply said before disappeared.

Once the lady was gone, her words' influence was also gone. Piper collapsed out of exhaustion as Jason ran to her.

* * *

Alex stood in silence as Chiron mended Piper and the camper who gave permission for the gryphon to enter. Alex recognized the girl as one of the unclaimed in Hermes's cabin.

Alex's memory played, and his mind was taken back to a few moments ago, when Piper had a battle of words with the unknown lady.

_It's not your turn_., Brigitta's voice spoke in his mind. _Let Aphrodite's favored one do her job_.

Alex didn't know how Brigitta was able to access his mind, but his head was too hurt to think. The lady was too convincing. Alex felt he was feeling more tired to ignore her, rather than listened to her.

"She's burning." Chiron said. "I'm afraid Piper cannot join your quest in saving Anput."

"Will she be okay?" Jason asked.

Chiron nodded. "She just needs some rest. As for the unclaimed, I think she'll be fine as well. She just had a momentary involuntary possession."

"Are you saying the girl is being used by a god or a goddess to let that gryphon in?" Annabeth asked.

Chiron nodded again. "Well, logically speaking, no demigod in their right mind would _permit _a monster to come into their territory."

"But who is the lady?" Percy wondered. "She charmspeaks as better as Pipes does."

"I don't think she has any ability of charmspeaking." Chiron said. "I don't know who she is, but judging from your story, I'm sure she's a goddess."

Just then, Nico let out a grunt as he clutched his chest. He started to sweat, and his face turned a bit paler.

"We need to get going." Percy said as he eyed Nico in worry. "If we don't send Anput back to the desert, everything will be ruined. Nico can't hold it much longer."

"Percy's right." Chiron said. "Leave Piper here, I guarantee her safety. As for the four of you, you need to get going. Nico, you're staying here."

"…I'm going." Nico grunted.

"No, you're not, Death Boy." Will Solace, the son of Apollo stepped inside the Big House. "You're staying here to rest."

Nico glared at his boyfriend and Will glared back. After a minute of glare contest, Nico sighed. Will beamed and turned to face the others.

"Off you go!" he said. "Leave them to us."

"You mean, leave Nico to you." Percy grinned.

"Let's go." Annabeth pulled Percy by shirt. "We don't have much time."

* * *

After Percy calmed the horses down, they flew to the beach right away. The sun was up high in the sky and the beach was quite packed with people.

"Okay, how do get down there without these people noticing us?" Jason asked as he hopped down from Porkpie and Alex followed. Without Nico and Piper, they decided to let Quiella stay in the Camp.

"We'll put the horses here." Annabeth said as she hopped down from Blackjack. "The Mist will mask them as cars or something similar. Then, Percy will take us down there."

Percy looked at his girlfriend. "I will?"

"_You _will." Annabeth said. "You can create underwater bubbles, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Great. Let's go."

"Stay here, buddy." Percy patted Blackjack.

_Won't go anywhere, Boss. But if you can't find me here, just go to a nearby doughnut store_.

Percy nodded his head, and the four of them walked as casually as possible. They ignored the curious stare the visitors gave them, as they were fully dressed for a vacation on the beach. Annabeth guided them into a rather secluded part of the beach, away from the curious lookers.

"Are you ready?" Annabeth asked which they replied with a nod. She nodded back. "Work your magic, Seaweed Brain."

They slowly entered the sea and once their noses were about to touch the water, all of them inhaled a deep breath. Percy willed the water and formed a bubble around their heads to breathe. They swam deeper into the sea.

"I'm glad I'm a demigod or I will be burst in a few seconds." Jason said in his bubble, his voice was muffled.

"With this much pressure, I don't know how long I can hold the bubbles." Percy said. "By the way Alex, when do I get to wear the perfume?"

"When we're near Anput." Alex said. "It's better to prolong our 10 minutes as much as possible."

"I see something down there." Annabeth pointed.

Following her finger, they all gasped upon seeing the beautiful castle at the bottom. They were in the deep sea, but the castle glowed. Colorful and beautiful seashells decorated the walls.

"Too bright for my dad's liking." Percy muttered.

"Let's go." Annabeth said, and they swam closer. They stopped at the castle's huge doors and Annabeth pushed them open.

"Should we just go in?" Jason asked.

"I don't see any guards—which was odd—but we don't have time for this now." Annabeth answered. "Alex, it's better for you to spray the perfume now. Let's go."

Alex sprayed the perfume on Percy and they swam in. The castle looked way bigger than the outside. There were many pillars to support the huge castle. Glowing seashells decorated the walls and illuminated it, but the castle was way too empty.

"I don't like this." Annabeth muttered. "Feels like we're in a—"

Just then, bars fell down from the ceiling, trapping them.

"—trap." Annabeth finished.

"_That _is easy."

Someone stepped out from behind the pillars, a mermaid. Or to be exact, a mermaid with a beautiful turquoise crown. In front of her, swam two mermen—guards—, each carrying a spear and a shield.

"Bow down for you are in the presence before Queen Salicia!" The guards said.

Jason raised an eyebrow. The name sounded so familiar to him.

"You must be the one who captured Anput." Annabeth said.

Salicia waved her hand in disgust. "If it is not because of her order, I won't do it. Her sand is dirtying my water by each second."

"Who ordered you?" Annabeth asked.

Salicia scoffed. "You don't actually believe I'll tell you, right?"

Annabeth silently cursed for Piper's absence. With her charmspeak, this might be not too difficult. She must think of another way. "Okay, where is Anput?"

"_Are _you seriously asking me that?" Salicia asked back.

"I believe you dislike her presence here." Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I cannot give her to you either. I have a strict order to imprison that Egyptian here." Salicia answered.

"Surely whoever ordered you to do that is less caring towards your water." Annabeth said.

Salicia pursed her lips. "Well, nevermind about that. I do this voluntarily."

"At what price?" Annabeth started to taunt. She doesn't have Piper's charmspeak, but she _does _have a way with words. "A dirty sea?"

Salicia's eyes twitched. "Enough." she said sternly. "As per my order, I have to kill you. You cannot interrupt."

"Tell me honestly, do you think if you kill us here then your sea wouldn't be dirty anymore?" Annabeth asked. "Your order of imprisoning Anput doesn't have any precise deadline, does it?"

Annabeth knew she hit the bullseye when she saw Salicia hesitated. She decided to push her wits further. "What if you have to imprison Anput _forever_? She _is _being weakened here, but that means you have to put up with her sand as well. The longer she stays here, the longer your sea will be dirtied."

"What?!" Salicia protested. The idea of seeing her sea would be dirtied _forever _clearly didn't sit well with her. "I can't let that happen!"

Annabeth nodded her head and her friends praised her for her unwavering wits. "I thought so. I can help you."

"By doing what?" Salicia demanded.

"Let us take the goddess go. That way, your sea will be spared." Annabeth answered.

Salicia hesitated. "But, my order…"

"Your sea or your order?" Annabeth taunted.

"M—my sea, of course, but…"

"Then, you'll let us have her, right?"

"I cannot do that…"

Annabeth spun her brain to convince Salicia fast. She was aware their 10 minutes of smell-free-Percy was coming to an end. In what words could she convince the goddess? Annabeth vaguely guessed the goddess's real identity, but she wasn't too sure.

"She's the consort of Neptune," Jason whispered on Annabeth's ear, careful not to let Salicia hear. "she's Salicia, the Roman goddess of seawater."

_Consort_.

Annabeth smiled. Now she knew why Brigitta gave them the cream.

"Whatever. Are you done talking now?" Salicia demanded.

Annabeth turned to Jason. "Give me the cream."

Jason fished out the antiaging cream from his pockets and gave it to Annabeth. She then turned to face Salicia and showed the cream to her.

"It must be hard as a queen to do maintenance for your skin. Especially with a two-timing husband such as Neptune." Annabeth started.

Percy choked as Salacia scoffed in disgust. "Don't talk about that traitorous husband. What does he see from those mortals, anyway? This is why I answered to her, you know! She promised me power, more seas to control."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. _Her_. Whoever ordered Salicia was a woman and she promised the queen something really alluring.

"That's why you have to take care of your skin." Annabeth said, taunting the goddess once more. "A beautiful skin makes you feel beautiful."

To her amusement, the queen's eyes sparkled. "I know, right! But it's hard to do routine maintenance, especially since I live in the sea! This high concentration of salt really affects the elasticity. But what this has anything to do with the Egyptian?"

"Let's do some trading. A bigger benefit for your side as well." Annabeth offered.

"Let's hear it, demigod." Salicia answered.

"All we ask is Anput, and I will give you this antiaging cream. It's made of a variety of healthy natural ingredients, and it's a great moisturizer. You will have a great skin beauty from this cream and your sea will be cleaned of the sand. And if you managed to sway Neptune's heart with your beauty, you can ask him to give you more seas, right?" Annabeth said.

_That _intrigued Salicia. Come to think of it, she _did _have some seas under her control already. Even her husband couldn't fight against her decision in those seas. The demigod might be right. If she could sway Neptune with her healthy and beautiful skin, she could ask him to give her more seas to control. She took a moment of silence to think then she snapped her fingers. "Deal! That Egyptian is in the dungeon, just further below us."

"Great!" Annabeth let out a small relieve breath. "Can you give her to us? And raise these bars, please."

Salicia snapped her fingers and the bars raised up. "Get the prisoner." she told to one of the guards, and he quickly swam away. "You're so smart, demigod. Now give me the cream! I can't wait to try—wait a minute. What is this smell? I recognize this smell…"

Annabeth choked. They instantly traded glances at each other as Percy immediately swam back carefully. Their heart was thumping hard. Who knew 10 minutes flew by so quickly!

Salacia took another few seconds _sniffing _the water, then her eyes grew as wide as an octopus's. She glared at them with anger.

"THIS IS POSEIDON'S MORTAL CHILD'S SMELL!" Salacia growled. "HOW DARE YOU! NOT ONLY YOU BROUGHT MY HUSBAND'S ILLEGITIMATE CHILD, BUT IT IS ALSO A _GREEK_?! YOU TRICKED ME! THIS MEANS DEATH!"

Salacia summoned her trident and Percy laughed nervously.

"Plan B, everyone?" he offered.

"The mortals are going to see a tsunami." Jason mumbled. "A tsunami at the Rockaway Beach."

* * *

**Done !**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the seventh chapter !**

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as well~**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

Salacia thrust her trident and more guards appeared.

"Alex! Get Anput!" Annabeth said.

"How long can this bubble hold?" Alex asked.

"Enough for you to get her!" Percy answered and pointed down. "I can see her!"

Alex glanced down and saw Anput was being brought back by the guard. Her hands and feet were chained, and her face was pale, but she looked pretty much alive. Alex wasted no time and swam down to get Anput. He kicked the confused guard hard, sending him spiraling down.

"GET THEM!" Salacia growled.

"Let's get out of here!" Annabeth said.

They swam as fast as possible back to the land. Halfway through, however, Percy's bubble burst. They gasped for air and just then, Salacia swung her trident. The wave sent them out from the sea and Salacia followed. The queen appeared along with a big wave, and the mortals ran away while screaming.

The demigods coughed as they breathed for air, while Anput laid down on the sand. She was so weak after being kept under the sea for so long, she didn't have any strength to stand up.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Salacia said. The siren for tsunami rang, alerting everyone nearby.

"We have to stop her before we create more panic." Annabeth panted.

"What's our plan B?" Jason asked and coughed out some seawater.

"Will the cream still work?" Alex offered.

"We'll give you the cream!" Percy said.

"I don't need it!" Salacia hissed.

"Wait!" Annabeth stood up, her brain spun to find a way out. "You can't kill us!"

Salacia glared at her. "You don't have any right to say what I can and what I cannot do!"

"I'm sure your order goes like this: kill the demigods before they can set the desert goddess free." Annabeth said and by the way Salacia pursed her lips, Annabeth knew she hit a jackpot. "But now, _we succeed in setting the desert goddess free_. Your order is invalid."

Salacia widened her eyes and hesitated. She then shook her head and glared back at Annabeth. "I have another reason to kill you!"

"Because we brought Poseidon's mortal child?" Annabeth asked. "_Did you ever say we can't bring him before we stepped into your castle_? I don't see any warning about that."

If it was possible, Percy was sure he fell in love with his girlfriend all over again.

Salacia hesitated once more. Her guards looked at her, weren't sure what to do. The half-mortal did say logical things.

"Any other reason you should kill us?" Annabeth asked. "You got your sea clean back now that Anput is gone, and I'll give you this cream."

Salacia eyed the cream on Annabeth's hand and she gripped her trident. Now that the demigod had broken every reason she had for killing them,—not to mention her _intriguing _offer about the cream—Salacia knew she couldn't no longer forced her way to kill them. But what about _her_?

"If you're thinking about the one who gave you the order, then let me tell you this. You're a queen. You have more than one sea under your control. How come you let some other woman rules over you?" Annabeth said.

Salacia widened her eyes. The demigod was right. She's a queen. She wasn't going to let some other woman ordered her without a care for her? She even received the order to imprison the desert goddess with the risk of dirtying her sea.

"Fine." Salacia finally said after debating within herself for a few minutes. "I won't kill you. But let me tell you something about the one who gave me the order. She's dangerous and full of tricks. But I think _you _can stand up against her. Tell her to screw away if you see her."

Annabeth nodded her head and presented the goddess with the cream. Salacia took it and turned her body away. "You'll be a good debate match with her, child of Athena."

Then the goddess disappeared back into the deep sea with the wave. Annabeth sat down on the sand and let out a relieve sigh.

"You're amazing!" Percy ran to Annabeth and gave her a hug. "I hardly do anything, but you amazingly stood up against Salacia! Wait, does that mean she's my step-mom?"

"Don't bother with it, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth chuckled. "I'm just glad this is over. How's Anput?"

"Weak, but alive." Alex answered as he set Anput free from her chains. "Anput, can you hear me?"

Anput nodded her head weakly.

"We need to send her back to the desert." Alex said and fished out the portal orb he received from Apollo. He then threw the orb hard and it burst out, creating a portal on the beach.

Anput groggily stood up and Alex helped her to walk. Anput stood in front of the portal, then turned her face. She smiled at the demigods who rescued her. "Thank you." She then turned to face Alex. "Be brave, Alex. Don't hesitate. She needs you."

Alex blinked at her words but Anput didn't have any strength to elaborate more. She stepped into the portal and she disappeared along with it. The wind rustled, and Alex wondered about Anput's words in silence.

_Don't hesitate_., she had said. Alex somehow guessed it was about the choice he was supposed to make.

_You have to make your choice alone_., Brigitta's words rang.

"Well," Jason said, breaking the silence. "time to go home, I believe."

* * *

It had been a while since the last time he had dream, but Nico recognized this feeling anywhere. The pain in his chest grew, and Will gave Nico a sleep potion. Nico hoped for a good rest, but of course, in this kind of time, that wouldn't happen. Nico found himself in the Underworld. He was standing in front of his father's throne, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone."

Nico turned his body and was surprised to see Hazel Levesque standing behind him.

"Hazel?" Nico asked. "What are you doing here?"

"We're connected through this dream." Hazel answered. "He needs our help. We have to find him."

"By he, you mean… Dad?" Nico asked which Hazel answered with a nod. "Hold on, I don't get it. This is _my _dream, which means this is the Greek's Underworld, right? How come you're here?"

Hazel shook her head. "The border is thinning out. Pluto was gone first, now Hades follows."

"_Gone_?" Nico asked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know." Hazel shook her head again. "For these past few days, I keep sensing a turbulence in the Underworld. I met Pluto once, but he told me it wasn't his business. And then, two days ago, he appeared in my dream. He didn't say anything, but I could see his form was disappearing. I tried to contact you, but I cannot get through for some reason. Now you're here—which means, I finally succeed in contacting you—, and this is what is in the present."

Nico turned his head to face the empty throne. His brain spun to guess where his father might be. "He… Might be captured somewhere. Just like Anput."

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "An… Who? Nico, what is happening?"

Nico shook his head. "Not now. I don't even know myself. All I know is that there's some serious trouble."

"Artemis's daughter." Hazel said. "The Child of Artemis. Is it true? Some Roman hunters came to our camp to find information, they knew about Camp Jupiter's good relationship with Camp Half-Blood. But we don't know anything."

"The child is true, I've met her." Nico admitted. "But she's hiding right now, and we are left with a rescue mission."

"A rescue mission? Rescuing who?" Hazel asked.

"Anput, the Egyptian goddess of desert. Oh, and the goddess of funeral and mummification." Nico answered, his tone was as flat as ever.

Hazel choked. "_Say what_?"

"I know, it's crazy." Nico said. "But that's what we're facing right now."

Just then, whispers came from around them. Hazel and Nico eyed their surroundings. "What's happening?" Nico asked.

"The dead." Hazel said. "Their souls are growing restless. The Underworld is falling apart without our dad."

"So, the turbulence has finally spread." Nico mumbled.

"Spread? Spreading from _where_?" Hazel asked.

"The Egyptian Underworld." Nico answered.

Hazel gawked. She stared at her half-brother and Nico stared back at her. She knew Nico wasn't lying, it was said all over on his eyes.

"You owe me an explanation." Hazel decided to say.

Nico nodded his head. "I'll give you the long version once I got the chance."

"Fine." Hazel said. Her form then flickered. "Our connection is getting unstable. Both of us are waking up."

"Stay safe, Hazel." Nico said.

Hazel smiled at him. "You too, brother."

Hazel's form disappeared, and the dream ended. Nico snapped his eyes open and sat up. The pain in his chest hadn't eased yet.

"Hey," Will touched his shoulder softly. "are you okay?"

"Have they returned yet?" Nico asked.

Will nodded. "A few minutes ago. Soaked, but they succeed. They managed to bring the goddess back. You're in a long sleep, Sleeping Dead Boy."

Right on time, the door opened, and Nico saw his friends. They had changed their wet clothes with new dry clothes.

"We bring good news, Nico!" Percy said. "We succeed in—"

"My dad is missing." Nico cut. "We have to find him."

"—nevermind." Percy muttered. "Another rescue mission."

"How do you know Lord Hades is missing?" Chiron asked. Nico told them his dream.

"I assume, we don't have any lead clue?" Annabeth asked which Nico replied with a shake of his head.

"But if Pluto is missing first, it means the turbulence attacks the Roman Underworld first." Jason said.

"But even Hazel doesn't know where her father is." Piper said. She had woken up from her fever right before Percy and the others came back.

"With Anput back in the desert, I assume Kebechet is also back in the Underworld." Alex said. "Or they are both back in the Underworld."

"Which means, the Egyptian Underworld is somewhat safe." Chiron said.

Annabeth crossed her arms. "I guess, this is the time to wait for the gods' voices?"

Chiron took a moment of silence to think then nodded his head. "I believe so."

* * *

It was Alex who got a dream. He was standing in a desert, but Anput was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Kebechet was standing in front of him. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she looked like a fifteen-years-old. Alex recognized her immediately through her snake face and her starry skin.

"Thank you." Kebechet said. "You bring my mother back."

"Is she okay?" Alex asked.

Kebechet nodded—or he thought she nodded. He couldn't be so sure with a snake. "The desert is healing her."

"She's not staying in the Underworld?" Alex asked.

"It's not safe for her." Kebechet said. "The desert is so much safer. If she stays in the Underworld, the same thing will just happen all over."

Alex's brain spun to connect the dots. "You mean… All this started from the Underworld? Not just because of Artemis's daughter?"

"The child is the reason everything can happen, but she is also the greatest threat for the enemy." Kebechet said. "She's the only one capable to stop this, but as you know, she has her life to think about at this moment."

"The Doors of Death." Alex said. "The turbulence started in the Egyptian Underworld to weaken the doors. Artemis's daughter weakened the border from the moment she was born."

Kebechet nodded. "Although there's a bigger reason why the turbulence started in the Egyptian. You'll find out that soon, but I don't have much time. I'm still recovering from my mother's disappearance. I came here to help you, though. To find the Lord of the Dead, you have to go to where it began."

"Where it began? What do you mean?"

"You know the answer, Alex Rebel. Think about it." Kebechet said as her form slowly disappeared. "Which counterpart goes missing first? That's where you have to go."

Kebechet's form disappeared and Alex opened his eyes.

_Which counterpart goes missing first_?, Kebechet said.

Alex knew right away what Kebechet meant. "Camp Jupiter."

* * *

**Done !**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the eighth chapter :D**

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as well *bow***

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Alex?" Jason asked.

Alex nodded his head. "I'm sure. Nico said that it was Pluto—the Roman form of Hades—which went missing first. Camp Jupiter. We have to go there. Nico's Roman sister can take us to the Roman Underworld."

"Is it safe?" Piper asked. "Or are going to be obliterated by a bunch of angry Roman Artemis's Hunters?"

"Well, what choice do we have?" Annabeth asked. "We have to save Hades/Pluto, unless we want to let the Doors of Death be opened once more."

"I don't like the sound of that." Percy muttered.

"Let's go." Jason said.

"Jason!"

The child of Jupiter looked up and saw a huge eagle was coming to their way. Gripped by its talons, Hazel was dangling. The barrier opened up and they descended. The eagle morphed back to Frank Zhang, the son of Mars.

"Hazel?" Nico asked. "What are you doing here?"

"We sneaked out." Hazel replied. "Reyna isn't too pleased. For some reason, she knew that our dad is missing, and the whole thing started because of Artemis's daughter. She's coming here to find the girl."

"Artemis's daughter is not here!" Piper said.

"But Reyna thinks you know where she is." Hazel said. "Nico, just tell me what's going on? How come our dad's disappearance has anything to do with Artemis's daughter?"

Nico decided to tell Hazel and Frank everything they knew—including the prophecy—, as short but as detailed as possible. Hazel and Frank gawked at him.

"W—w—w—what…" Hazel stammered. "A demigod with _three _bloods?"

"Don't ask." Jason shook his head. "All we know is that her birth has weakened the border between Greek, Roman, and Egyptian, and all of this chaos is happening."

"We have to go now." Nico added. "I can feel the wrath of the dead. They're getting impatient."

"Hazel, we need you to take us to the Roman Underworld." Annabeth said.

"But what about Reyna? She's coming here!" Hazel said.

"Let's trade, then." Annabeth suggested. "Me and Piper will stay here to convince Reyna and the others. Hazel, Frank, Nico, Jason, Percy, Alex, you find Hades."

"Fine by me." Piper said.

"Are you sure you can handle her?" Hazel asked. "I forgot to mention earlier, but uhm… A bunch of Roman Hunters are coming too."

"We'll handle them."

They turned their heads and saw Thalia was there. Behind her, was her group of hunters.

"Sis, what are you talking about?" Jason asked. "They are your own kind!"

"Our Lady has given us a strict order not to kill the girl." Thalia said. She pursed her lips and Alex knew she still couldn't accept the fact that her patron goddess had a daughter. "We will convince the others. Until we know what is truly happening and until we make sure the girl doesn't pose any threat, I promise no Hunter is allowed to hunt her down."

"She's a fraud!" Ariana said. "She tricked our Lady and us!"

"Silence, Ariana." Thalia sternly said. "Now, go. You have an Underworld to safe. Leave this place to us."

They nodded their heads. Hazel reached out her hand to Nico. "Let's go, little brother. It'll take both of our power to access the mingling Underworld."

Nico took Hazel's hand and they both closed their eyes in concentration. A few seconds after, the ground rumbled, and they were swallowed.

* * *

"We're here."

Jason stumbled and fell flat on his bottom. "I don't want to experience that earth-swallowing thing anymore."

Right then, they felt a soft rumbled around them and tiny bits of rocks fell down.

"This place is starting to collapse." Hazel said. "We need to hurry."

"How do we find him?" Percy asked.

"Mental connection between father and children?" Jason offered.

"Worth the try." Nico nodded.

_Deeper_.

Alex blinked his eyes. What did he just hear?

_Deeper, Alex_., Brigitta repeated in his mind. _He's at the deepest part of the Underworld, where there is no border_.

"Tartarus." Alex blurted, which successfully gained his friends' attention. "The deepest part of the Underworld. Roman and Greek knew it as one name, hence there is no border."

"Uhm… You're okay?" Percy asked.

"She spoke to me." Alex said.

"Who?"

"Her."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, who?"

Alex glanced at him. "Who else?"

"Artemis's daughter?" Hazel gasped which Alex replied with a nod.

"I don't know how, but she can access my mind sometimes." Alex said.

"Can a demigod do that?" Frank asked.

"Normally, no." Nico answered. "But since she's an abnormal, maybe she can."

"So, what did she say?" Frank asked.

"We have to go deeper. The Lord of the Underworld is in the deepest part, where there is no border." Alex replied.

"I see. No wonder you said Tartarus." Hazel said.

"Let's go. This is place is collapsing by every minute." Nico said.

Nico and Hazel walked in front, leading their friends. With the two of them, the dead didn't bother to disturb them. Hades/Pluto might be missing, but his children still radiated power. They kept walking and ignored the souls' voices. The deeper they went, the narrower it became. And the deeper they went, the louder the voices became. Screams of agony and pleading filled the area. The six of them were using every of their willpower to resist the despair those souls carried.

Brigitta had stopped talking in his mind, and Alex wondered how the girl could talk to him in the first place. There had to be a reason why Brigitta contacted him, rather than everyone else.

_Because you came from a family who is associated with Egypt_., Brigitta's voice appeared.

Alex almost yelped out of surprise, but he managed to hold it in.

_Brigitta_?, he spoke back.

_Hey, Alex_., Brigitta greeted. _It feels weird talking to someone in your mind_.

_Where are you now? Why aren't you showing yourself?_

_ I'm still hiding. Besides, it's not the right time yet. Aren't you more interested on why I chose to speak to you?_

_ Elaborate to me._

_ First of all, you're a demigod. The heir to the throne of Zeus, as Thalia has joined the Hunters and Jason is the heir to the throne of Jupiter. Second reason is that you came from a family with a connection to Egypt._

_ Egyptologist? Is that even considered as a strong connection?_

_ Not strong, but enough_., Brigitta said. _It's strong enough to support our contact, although this is probably the last time. I have to keep myself as low as possible._

Alex went silent for a moment. Thinking how Brigitta had to hide in any way possible—by herself—made Alex felt uneasy.

_Are you okay?_, Alex decided to ask.

It was Brigitta's turn to go silent. After three seconds of no response, Alex started to get anxious. He wondered whether the connection was lost already, or she went silent because he had asked a stupid question.

_I'm fine_., Brigitta answered, which made Alex let out a small relieve sigh. He could hear her smile behind those words. Upon remembering Brigitta's smile which he had seen in his dream before, something tugged his heart once more.

_Can I see you in the dream again?_, Alex asked and felt instantly stupid. What kind of question was that? _No, I mean—_

_ I'll try_., Brigitta answered. _I've ran away from the dream world, as Morpheus is targeted if he keeps hiding me. Without his power, it's hard to appear in a dream, but I'll try._

It wasn't a definite promise, but Alex felt content already.

_Alex, I have to go before they found me. Listen, it's your turn to do the battle of words. In time of uncertainty, remember, you came to Tartarus to save the Lord. Hades is the chosen Lord of the Underworld, no one could take the throne away by force._

_ What are you talking about?_

_ Don't lose_., Brigitta said. _I know you won't. Stay focused. You've set Anput free of her chains, now you have to do it again_.

_Again, what are you talking about?_

_You'll know when you get there. Remember, Alex, don't hesitate_.

Brigitta's voice went out and Alex called her a few times mentally. When she didn't respond, Alex knew the connection was severed. There was so much thing he wanted to ask her, but he lost the chance. Especially since Brigitta said this was the last time they could communicate telepathically.

"Guys, look." Hazel whispered.

Alex's senses were snapped back, and he found they were at the edge of a huge hole. Alex peered to a side of the wall and glanced down. Down there, Pluto was being caged. His face was contorting, and his form was flickering back and forth between his Greek and Roman form. Beside his cage, stood a hooded lady with chained feet. She whispered something to Pluto, but Alex couldn't hear it clearly. However, every time she whispered, Pluto's tremble worsened. Right in front of the cage, a lady with long jet-black hair was sitting on a chair. Unlike the hooded lady, the jet-black lady was chained to the chair, her feet and hands were also chained.

"My, my, my, look who's here." The jet-black lady said, her cold voice spread through the entire area. She looked up, right at the demigods, and a shiver ran down along Alex's spine. Brigitta's words instantly rang in his mind.

_You've set Anput free of her chains, now you have to do it again_.

Alex knew exactly what Brigitta meant. Saving Pluto/Hades wasn't the main goal. There were _two _chained goddesses down there, and it was his job to set them free.

* * *

**Done !**

**I'm so happy I managed to finish writing this one :D**

**What do you think ?**

**Don't forget to leave your reviews ! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the ninth chapter !**

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter :D**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

None of the demigod moved. In fact, none of them were _able _to move. They just stood there, frozen. A shiver ran down their spine as her jet-black eyes stared at them. The lady broke into a smile.

"Welcome to the party." she said. Her voice was cold and soft.

The hooded lady stopped her whispering to Pluto and also looked up. Alex couldn't see her face, but he could see her smile.

"Look who's here." The hooded lady said. "We've been waiting."

"Come down and join us." The jet-black lady said.

Alex's legs moved on its own and he started to walk down the stone stairs, going closer to the lady. His friends followed. Alex vaguely ordered himself to run away, but he couldn't do anything. His body wouldn't listen to him.

They stopped in front of the jet-black lady and she smiled. "I'm sorry for my rather unpleasant appearance." She opened her arms, showing her chained hands. "As you see, I'm working on this."

Alex tried to focus his eyes and saw rust was slowly eating the chains.

"He's quite strong, as I suspected." The lady said. "And you're here earlier than I expected. It seems that with his last consciousness, he allowed you both to communicate."

Alex didn't understand what she was saying at all.

_Focus, Alex_., Brigitta's voice rang in his mind, it sounded so muffled and far away. _This is your fight_.

Brigitta's voice died down, but Alex's consciousness started to come back bit by bit.

"Pluto/Hades." Alex managed. "Before you put him into this state, he allowed Nico and Hazel to meet in their dream."

The jet-black lady fell into a silence as she gave Alex a good stare. "I see." she simply said, her tone was completely flat. "You're here with some protection yourself. But how long can it last?"

Alex's knees buckled. His whole body was shaking and all he wanted to do was to crawl into a hole and cooped himself up in it. He didn't want to wake up anymore.

"Fear not, my children." The lady smiled. "All of this will be over soon, and you don't have to be worried."

Alex could feel his body was getting weaker. Both Hazel and Nico flopped down on the ground, hands clutched their chests, and they were panting hard. They squeezed their eyes shut as if they were trying to bear the pain in their chests.

Alex took another glance to Pluto and saw his form was flickering much faster. While his attention was directed towards the jet-black lady, the hooded lady was back into whispering things to Pluto. As seconds flew by, Pluto's form flickered faster and both Nico and Hazel's grunts were louder.

Whoever these two ladies were, they were affecting Hades and his children in a bad way.

_Focus, Alex. This is your fight_., Brigitta's words replayed itself in his brain.

_You have to go where it began_., Kebechet had said.

Alex's brain spun to connect the dots. There had to be a reason why the turbulence in the Egyptian's Underworld reached Roman's first. The two ladies here must be Roman goddesses. But whom?

Alex's head hurt so much, and he felt it spun. He didn't want to think about anything, but he knew he had to. Unless he knew who the two goddesses were, the turbulence wouldn't stop, and the Doors of Death would be opened.

"Let me tell you an interesting story." The jet-black lady said, as she put an elbow on the chair's armrest. "Once upon a time, lived a very happy couple. They ruled the kingdom together and were praised by the people. For years, even centuries, they were feared. No one dared to oppose them. But one day, a man from another country came into their country. He persuaded the people to put their trust on him. He swayed them to praise him. And before the couple could do anything about it, the people had turned their backs. They praised the man, urging the couple to step down from the throne and to make the man as their new king. The people succeeded, and thus, the man became their king. The couple were then be forgotten."

Hazel's eyes twitched. She had heard of that story before. But where? Who were the couple the lady was talking about?

"A very gloomy story, isn't it?" The jet-black lady said. "The once king became depressed, while the once queen longed for revenge. After waiting for centuries, the once queen finally got her chance."

"T—the new king," Hazel croaked, wincing in pain. "is Pluto. Y—you're Mania."

The jet-black lady smiled. Rust ate away the chain on her left leg. She wailed in happiness. "Look at this! Keep going, Dea Tacita! I'm almost free!"

"W—who is she?" Nico asked.

"She's the Roman goddess of the Underworld, also known as the goddess of ghosts." Hazel answered while panting. "She once ruled with her husband, Mantus, before Pluto take the throne as the people worship him more."

"Excellent!" Mania clapped her hands. "Good job in figuring out!"

"A—and the other goddess?" Percy croaked.

Hazel shook her head, trying to shake away the pain in her head. "Dea Tacita. The Roman goddess of the dead. Also known as the Silent Goddess and the goddess of obscurity."

"She's the one who faced Piper back in the camp." Jason managed. "She's spreading obscurity!"

"And now, she's affecting Pluto with her words." Hazel said.

Mania clapped her hands again. "Very well done! I'm so amazed you manage to know who we are."

"But why is she doing this?" Frank asked.

"To regain the throne back." Alex managed. "You're planning to destroy Pluto."

"Correct!" Mania said. "Dea Tacita will turn that god into nothing but a puddle of obscurity with her words. And then I, will take the throne back for my husband! Together, we will rule the Underworld once more!"

"Someone woke you up from your slumber." Alex said. He tried to stand up, his brain replayed Brigitta's words over and over.

_This is your fight_.

"You longed for revenge, and this time, someone gave you the chance to." Alex said. "You are chained to the chair because you are forgotten. You are not supposed to rule anymore."

Mania smiled. "Don't be so sure, my child. Take a look at him. He is about to go _poof_! any minute now."

Alex shook his head. He remembered what Brigitta had told him during his way here. This was his battle of words, and he came here to save Pluto. He came here to free the goddesses from their chains. And most importantly, Hades/Pluto was the chosen Lord of the Underworld. No one could take his throne away by force unless he was the one who gave it up.

"I came here to stop that." Alex said. "You cannot take the throne away."

Mania glared at Alex. Fear crippled up along his body, but Alex braved himself. He had to be the one who defeated Mania and Dea Tacita. He had to set them free, so they wouldn't try to stir the underworld anymore.

And if he was lucky enough, they would also give him some information and let them out of the Tartarus alive.

"I _can _and I _will_." Mania said. "The throne belongs to me."

"No, it's not." Alex said. His brain spun, as he eyed the breaking chains around Mania's body. He knew exactly what to say.

"The throne belongs to Pluto." Alex said. "But Mania, you will not be forgotten."

The rust almost ate away the chain on Mania's other leg. "When I am free of these chains, I will send your soul to the depth of the Tartarus!" Mania growled.

"Obscurity is always there. Ghosts are always here. Both you and Dea Tacita will not be forgotten." Alex said.

Mania pursed her lips and Dea Tacita's whispers stopped. The two goddesses stared at him. Alex breathed in and out in a rhythm, telling himself to stay focus and be brave. This was his battle, just like what Brigitta had said.

"These chains are here because _you _yourself think you are forgotten." Alex said. "In fact, it's not like that. Both of your power is always there, lingering in people's lives. You can never wipe out obscurity. Lots of people believe in ghosts. These chains were created because you yourself cannot see the truth."

Mania's other leg was free of the chains, but she didn't do anything. She fixated her gaze on Alex.

"What are you doing?" Nico whispered. "Don't encourage her!"

Alex ignored him. He knew exactly that he was _supposed _to encourage Mania.

"The throne belongs to Pluto." Alex repeated. "But the power over fear of obscurity and ghosts belongs to both of you. You rule in a different way."

"And what about my husband?" Mania asked.

"You can arrange a position for him with Pluto, can't you? Just like a country. Pluto resides in the castle, while you lead different noble families." Alex said. "You cannot take the throne from Pluto, but he cannot rob you out of your power either."

The chains disappeared. Both Mania and Dea Tacita were completely free.

"Great." Percy mumbled.

"I hope you have a good reason for this." Hazel said.

Mania gave Alex another good stare and then smiled. "You are right."

"He is?" Jason blinked.

Mania rose from the chair. "I can see why she is so afraid of you. I am interested to see how far you can go. Very well, boy, let your purpose be fulfilled. Dea Tacita, release the Lord."

Dea Tacita stared at the goddess in silence for a few seconds, then snapped her fingers. The cage opened, and Pluto collapsed.

"Dad!" Nico ran to him.

"You should take him back before it's too late." Dea Tacita said. "Mania, are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure." Mania said. "The boy is right. We both have powers which Pluto himself cannot rob of. We each have different noble families to lead."

Dea Tacita walked towards her. Alex could feel strength was seeping back to him. He could stand up better.

"We defied her." Dea Tacita said.

"I heard Salacia did too." Mania said. "I agree with her, though. We are powerful, we shouldn't be listening to that woman."

"Who are you talking about?" Alex asked. "Who is she? She must be the one who ordered you to capture Pluto, right?"

"You will know in time." Mania said. "Right now, you have to hurry. Pluto wouldn't last for another ten minutes down here. Dea Tacita's words are too powerful."

"I hope we can meet again." Dea Tacita said. "You have a way with words, child of Zeus. Not as good as the charmspeaking girl, but still pretty good."

"Uhm… Thanks." Alex said.

"Leave." Mania said. "The souls won't touch you, neither the ghosts. We will try to keep the Underworld stable until the Lord recovers. Just like you said, boy. We have our own power."

"She's right." Hazel said. "We need to bring Pluto back to his throne."

Alex nodded.

"Don't falter, boy." Mania said. "Remember how you convince me."

Then, the two goddesses disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

* * *

**Done !**

**What do you think about this chapter ?**

**Don't forget to leave your reviews :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, everyone !**

**I'm back with the tenth and also the last chapter of this fic :D**

**I hope you enjoy reading it as well~**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and OCs only**

* * *

Just like what Mania and Dea Tacita had promised, Alex and his friends could reach Pluto's throne safely. Nico and Hazel helped him to sit down, and once he did, his figure stopped flickering between his Greek and Roman aspect. Pluto however, couldn't open his eyes and sat limply on his throne.

"I see you brought him back." A goddess appeared. She was wearing a dark purple robe, with a huge necklace made from black obsidian stones. Her eyes were dark golden and dull, but held some affection when she saw Pluto. She was wearing a headband made from pomegranate seeds.

"Persephone." Nico recognized his step-mother.

"Proserpina, to be precise." Hazel said. "She's the Roman form."

Proserpina gave a stare at the demigods for a few minutes. She let out a small smile. "Good job in escaping Mania and Dea Tacita. Older deities tend to be… difficult."

"If Mania is here, will she and Proserpina be in war?" Jason whispered which Hazel replied with a hard nudge on his side.

"Thank you for bringing the Lord back." Proserpina said. "It seems, it is the right thing to trust this matter to you."

"Will he be okay?" Hazel asked.

"He'll be fine, the throne is healing him." Proserpina said. "However, I'm afraid he will not be strong enough when the final battle comes."

"I don't like the sound of _that_." Percy muttered.

"Your quest is not finished yet, brave ones." Proserpina said. "You have to convince the other gods as well. Nico di Angelo, I think it will be the best if you visit your father now."

Nico blinked his eyes. "Err… Okay. Which way is the Greek Underworld?"

Proserpina raised her hand and a swirling portal appeared. "I will send you there but be careful. You may have convinced Mania and Dea Tacita, but not the others. However, do not be afraid. You must convince the Twelve Olympians and Lord Hades to join the final battle. Or else, I will meet your souls."

Frank took a step back. "Okay, which means if we failed to convince the gods, we'll be dead."

"Go." Proserpina said. "Mania and Dea Tacita might be able to maintain the Underworld, but when the king is absent, the queen must do her duties."

Hazel nodded. "Let's go. I can still feel the turbulence as well. We need to hurry."

They stepped into the portal one by one, Alex was the last.

"Child of Zeus." Proserpina called.

"Yes?"

The goddess fell into a silence before staring straight to Alex's eyes. "Do not hesitate. You are the only one who can stop this apocalypse, along with the forbidden child."

Alex stared back at the goddess in confusion and was about to ask what the goddess meant, before he was sucked into the portal.

* * *

**Back in the Camp Half-Blood…**

"Charmspeaking Reyna might not be a good idea, isn't it?" Piper asked as she paced back and forth. "Wait, are Hunters prone to a charmspeak?"

"Convincing Reyna won't be hard." Annabeth said. "After all, we managed to convince her last time."

"But what if the Hunters convinced her otherwise?" Piper asked.

"Then, you do your magic." Annabeth said.

"Our sisters will not forgive you." Ariana hissed. "They will claim that fraud's head."

"And then all of us will be arrowed down by Artemis." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Our Lady will not betray us!" Ariana growled.

"Enough, Ariana." Thalia commanded. "Now is not the time to argue."

"How can you accept this?!" Ariana glared. "Our Lady is a virgin goddess and there is no way for her to bear a child!"

"No matter how, it doesn't change the fact that the girl has been claimed by our Lady." Thalia countered. "Now stay calm and cease your anger. This is an order."

Thunder boomed from afar and Ariana bit back her words. She huffed and turned her head to look elsewhere. She didn't say any other words, but it was clear she was still pissed off.

"How long will it be for Reyna to reach the camp?" Piper asked.

"Well, judging from what Hazel had said, I'm sure she's on her way here." Annabeth said. "I think it won't take too long."

As if on a cue, a horde of pegasi appeared on the sky near the barrier. The barrier opened up as it recognized the demigods and the Hunters. A cream-colored Pegasus who was leading the horde stepped down.

Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano stepped down from her pegasus.

"Reyna." Annabeth said.

The praetor gave a cold stare. "Hello, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. I will spare the formalities. I assume you know the reason for me coming here."

"Surely not to kill us." Annabeth said.

The daughter of Bellona let out a small smile. "It depends on how well you cooperate with me. Now, where is the forbidden child?"

* * *

** Back in the Greek Underworld…**

Alex stepped out of the portal and almost yelped when he saw a ghost's face, just a few inches from his own. The face contorted in pain and screamed so loud. Alex closed his ears in reflex, and the face disappeared as Nico swung his Stygian sword at it.

"Nico, what is _this_?" Hazel asked loudly, trying to overcome the screaming. They couldn't see their surroundings as the faces swarmed them.

"They're in pain!" Nico yelled back. "We have to get to my father! And keep your ears closed!"

"Where is he?" Frank yelled.

Nico swung his sword on another ghost. "He's deeper. Follow me!"

They ran straight ahead into the darkness. Nico led the way as he swung his sword repeatedly, sending the ghosts away. Alex focused himself to just stare at Nico's back and tried his best to ignore the faces. He felt like he was about to be sucked if he stared or listened to the faces.

_Help!_, The faces whispered. _It hurts! Help!_

_Please bring me back! Let me be human again!_

_Help! It hurts so much! Help me!_

_ Mommy? Mommy!_

_ Let me out!_

_ Help!_

"Don't listen!" Nico shouted. He started to pant, as he could feel his strength was leaving him. He might be the child of Hades, but the ghosts were starting to get stronger by each minute. Nico used his willpower to ignore them, and it started to get harder now. "Keep running! We're almost there!"

_Help!_

_ It hurts, it hurts!_

More ghosts swarmed them, and Nico was getting overwhelmed. The ghosts appeared faster than his movement.

"We have to help him!" Percy shouted, sweats trickled down along his face as he tried to keep his sanity intact.

_Help, help, help!_

_ Set me free! Please let me be free!_

_ It hurts! Mommy, it hurts!_

Nico stumbled. His sword clattered on the ground and colors started to be drained from his face.

"Nico!" Hazel ran to him. "Nico! Stay with me!"

The ghosts swirled, completely surrounding them. Their wailing and screaming were getting louder. The demigods flopped down as pain started to fill them.

Just right then, a bright light appeared. The ghosts wailed, and they retracted. Now that the ghosts were not obstructing their view, they realized they were in a dark tunnel. Alex turned his head to see where the light came from.

He widened his eyes as he saw Morpheus, holding a glowing arrow.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." The god muttered.

"Morpheus?" Alex croaked. "What are you doing here?"

"Morpheus, you said?" Frank opened his ears. "Oh, I'm fine now. Wait, isn't he the god of dreams?"

"I came here to give you this." Morpheus tossed the glowing arrow to Alex. "It contains that child's power, so you should be fine until you reach Hades's castle."

"_That child_?" Alex mumbled. "You mean, _Brigitta _gave us this?"

Morpheus nodded. "I can't believe I'm willing to step out from my comfy world to do errands for her." he mumbled. "Anyway, the arrow is yours. And the child said that you have to convince Hades and the Twelve Olympians to join the final battle. Or the apocalypse will fall, and the thrones will be burned."

"I don't even want to know what that means." Hazel muttered.

Morpheus swayed his hand. "Go. The Lord is waiting. That light will help to strengthen him faster."

Then the god disappeared.

"So, ugh… We should deliver this arrow to Hades?" Frank asked.

"Nico, are you all right?" Hazel asked.

Nico stood up. "I'm fine. Morpheus is right. That arrow's light is healing me."

"Okay, can we just uhm… go? Like now?" Percy asked. "I want to sprint out of here while the ghosts are gone."

"Good idea." Nico nodded. "Come along. It's right up ahead."

* * *

The Underworld's castle has never been his favorite, but Nico felt something was _odd _this time. It was _way _too quiet, much quieter than it was used to be.

"Uhm… Dad?" Nico called, his voice echoed.

"Where's the throne room?" Jason asked.

Nico led the way and they stopped in front of a huge black doors. Nico pushed the door opened, and found Hades was sitting limply on his throne.

"Dad!" Nico ran to him. "Are you okay?"

"Be quiet." Hades raised his face. He was a bit pale and weak, and Nico assumed it was because he had just been captured by Dea Tacita. He was in the same state as his Roman form, although rather better.

"Maybe this will help." Alex said as he offered Nico the glowing arrow.

Nico wasted no time and took the arrow from Alex. He put the arrow in Hades's hand and it glowed brighter. The Lord of the Underworld clasped the arrow, as he could feel his strength was slowly coming back to him.

"It's working!" Hazel said.

The arrow stopped glowing and broke into two. Hades stared at the broken arrow.

"I see." he said. "No wonder Aletheia said not to kill the child."

"Dad, are you okay?" Nico asked.

"I'm fine, son." Hades said. "The arrow has healed me."

"But now it's broken." Hazel said. "I thought we can use the arrow to heal my dad as well. Ehm… Pluto, I mean."

"The arrow won't work on him." Hades said. "The child needs Greek gods."

"What are you talking about, Dad?" Nico asked.

"Not now. Son, did the child say anything else to you, in addition to bringing me this arrow?" Hades asked back.

Nico blinked. "Ugh… She told us to convince you and the Olympians to join the final battle. We heard the same words from Proserpina as well."

Hades nodded his head. "I understand her plan now. Child of Zeus, this arrow belongs to you now."

Alex blinked in confusion as he took the broken arrow from Hades. "Ugh… Thanks?"

"Dad, can you please explain?" Nico asked.

"You will know in time." Hades said. "Child of Zeus, make sure you always bring that arrow no matter where you go. It shall have its three anchors and stop the apocalypse."

"_And the sacred arrow must have its three anchors_." Jason recited. "Lord Hades, you know the meaning of the prophecy?"

"I will convince The Olympians." Hades ignored. "After all, as much as I hate it, I owe that girl for healing me. And Aletheia is right. That girl is our only savior."

"Dad, I don't understand." Nico said.

"You will, son." Hades said. "Now, I believe you should head back. Your friends need you."

"Reyna!" Hazel gasped. "Oh no! Does this mean a _war _is happening at the Camp?"

"It will, unless you stop it." Hades said. He raised a hand, and a portal appeared. "Go."

"Wait, Dad!" Nico said. "You can't just tell us to go without telling us anything!"

"Nico, we don't have much time." Hades said. "I've spent too much time being captured, now the Underworld is getting unstable. The final battle is closing in faster than expected, and if you don't do something, all of us will be doomed."

Nico snorted. "Can't you say what you want to say in a language I can understand? I strongly suggest English."

The castle suddenly shook hard.

"Nico, you have to go. _Now_." Hades urged. "We will talk once we have another chance."

Nico stared back at his father and then sighed. Without another words, he stepped into the portal, followed by his friends. Once the demigods were gone, the portal disappeared.

"Ah, too bad I can't see them."

Hades sat still on his throne as he recognized the presence. He turned his head to face the visitor. A beautiful woman with long black hair. She was wearing a black long dress which glittered like a starry sky, and she had a pair of black wings. She wore a black headband.

Hades recognized the goddess immediately. The same goddess who triggered the Trojan War.

"Eris." Hades hissed.

"Why hello, my Lord." The goddess of discord and strife said. "I see you're sending your son away before I could greet him."

"How dare you coming here." Hades said.

Eris raised a hand. "I'm not here to fight." The goddess said. "I'm here because _she _sent me. She told me that you will not be able to win."

"Save your breath." Hades ignored as he stood up from his throne.

Eris smiled. "My Lord, I strongly suggest for you to sit back down."

Hades stared at the goddess and the castle shook once more, harder. Eris's smile grew.

"What have you done?" Hades demanded.

"Nothing." Eris said. "My Lord, you know what discord and strife do to me. And right now, the world is full of discord and strife. Not even your Underworld will be spared. I'm strong! Oh, by the way, you should try to get some rest, my Lord."

Eris thrust her hand forward, and black chains appeared from Hades's throne. The chain engulfed the god and forced him back to his throne.

"Eris!" Hades said.

"Don't bear grudge on me now." Eris shrugged. "She told me that by chaining you here, more discord will fall. I just _love _discord."

Hades struggled to be free from his chains, but the chains strapped him tighter. Eris gave the struggling god another stare then nodded her head in satisfactory. "Yes, this will do. Now, I should go and visit the goddesses who has defied their orders in the past few hours."

"Eris!"

Eris snapped his finger and another chain appeared on Hades's mouth, completely muffled him. "By the way, your wife is safe and sound, although she is strapped on your bed. Rest well!"

The goddess then disappeared.

* * *

Alex didn't know how it could happen, but he knew he was in a dream. Perhaps, they took a longer time to go back to the mortal world. Maybe the distance between Roman to Greek Underworld was way shorter. Or maybe simply because he was in a bad luck.

He found himself floating in the darkness. Alex recognized the feeling immediately. The same cold and eerie feeling he had when he first met the woman in the darkness in his dream.

"Look who's here."

A shiver ran down Alex's spine. "Show yourself!" he demanded.

The woman's chuckle echoed. "You will see me. Soon. I've told you, you will help me rise."

"I never agree to help you!"

"Whether you agree or nor, boy." The woman said. "Now, all you have left to do is to kill the girl."

"I will not kill Brigitta."

"Oh, you will. Or more precisely, you will be _forced _to kill her." The woman hummed.

Alex fisted his hands. "No!"

"My, how stubborn you are." The woman clicked her tongue. "But once you know who I am, you know you don't have any other choice than to kill the girl."

"Stop this nonsense!" Alex said.

"Nonsense?" The woman hissed. "How dare you! I will have my revenge! I will step out from the Underworld, for I am the chosen pharaoh! Mortals and gods will tremble in fear as they hear my name!"

"No!" Alex said. "Whoever you are, we will stop you!"

"Foolish!" The woman's voice boomed. "No one will be able to stop me, not even the forbidden child!"

"_We can and we will_." Alex said, as his mind replayed what Mania had said to him.

_Don't falter, boy. Remember how you convinced me_.

"How dare you standing in my way!" The woman roared in anger.

"Show me yourself, you coward!" Alex demanded. "Who are you?!"

The woman fell into silence, and fear creeped inside Alex's heart. What if he couldn't wake up from his dream anymore? What if he was stuck in this darkness forever? Surely, he had offended the woman.

_Whatever_., he mumbled inwardly.

"Bear my name in your mind, child of Zeus. Because I will bring down the apocalypse to your world." The woman said, her cold voice froze Alex's heart and sent a shiver along his spine. "_I am Cleopatra_."

Alex snapped his eyes open as the Roman Hunters asked for a war.

* * *

**Done !**

**I'm so happy I managed to write the last chapter down !**

**Stay tune for the third and the last sequel :D**

**But first, don't forget to leave your reviews !**


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